In-depth DVD and movie reviews - the JBL sound!

[JBL 4645]

Star Trek VHS PAL widescreen collection Hi-Fi stereo Dolby stereo 4.2.4 matrix

All I need is new Hi-Fi stereo VCR just hear what the Dolby mix sounds like on the compressed audio over the DVD/Bluray and laserdiscs.

My present Hi-Fi stereo NICAM 728 digital VCR is kinder jaded now, and its been used at to boast the analogue Lt-Rt on analogue Dolby stereo as its done by -4db at normal level so I boast the output to input for the AVR so its within the same level as the Dolby digital or dts which even.

[JBL 4645]

The green that smudges around the bright lights or floodlights on the helicopter is not how the film looked when projected in the cinema.

This is the first edition laserdisc NTSC and it’s the same poor colour balance as it is on the THX laserdisc the DVD and even the bluray!

Only a few films seem to ever make a 100% colour balance to video, and this isn’t one them! :barf:

The video is bit lagging behind the audio. The video signal sent straight from the laserdisc player to the webcam mode for faster upload thou the Kworld device, the image has lines in it but it’s the colour you should be looking at.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaE3jAQggCI

Note the colour blue! Well the issue lies with the (blue and white) you can even take a common video camera and aim the camera at blue light with white light behind and bingo! You see green! Now film will never see this! Only the natural colour of the blue and a tiny hint of white light behind it.

I guess it takes special video engineer who knows how to do perfect telecine colour balance. The rest of them are just lousy and shouldn’t even be paid for there useless work.

[JBL 4645]

I've set the frequency response just a bit wider up to 200Hz

[JBL 4645]

The bluray dtsHDMA wow it seesm to be lacking its so called perfect low end against the DVD six-track Dolby stereo digital, mix. I think I’ll run the DVD version from now.

[JBL 4645]

I just asked Sooty if he approves Avatar on bluray in dtsHDMA and he, said “no”.

I then asked Sooty again if he approves Avatar on DVD in six-track Dolby stereo digital and his answer was “yes”.

The Sooty as spoken! :banana:

I must have played a scene where Sully jumps onto the back of the (dragon leader) just before Quaritch nudes the joystick in the pilots hand, banking the hover vehicle over to its right or left (depending on what you view it), some 10 times. The choir voices horns and stings just heightened the action.
http://tsikot.yehey.com/forums/images/smilies/choir.gif

I might just very well order the region 1 DVD it with its Dolby stereo digital mix that will be just 1Hz lower over the region 2 DVD. But the DVD R2 was shamelessly leaving the bluray with its wimpy dtsHDMA in the dust.

[JBL 4645]

I placed a crossover filter using Link-witz Riley -48db @ 499Hz the top end was unaltered I then re-routed the HF out from the DCX2496 to the pc and turned the level up to +13db, I don’t think I want to listen to this at +13db!

“Psycho98” (1998) as several scenes of screaming and yelling!

[JBL 4645]

I’ve had the DVD “Cat People” (1982) for several years now. The six-track Dolby stereo is mixed with low end content down to 30Hz it sounds good enough for its age. I like vintage Dolby stereo films.

“Putting out Fire with gasoline” performed by David Bowie played the film off nicely. Wow I miss the 80’s.

Also I had to raise the LFE.1 to +10db the film is at such a low level.

Overall master volume was set at +3db its low level Dolby film mix.

Sooty, looks like one of those cat people.:p Sooty gives "Cat People" 5 paw stars.

[JBL 4645]

The dream sequence has mild LFE.1 track that will be overtaken up the LCR front content so a rise of +10db will cause no harm to the sub.

The LFE.1, fades of the mix when it cuts to the park scene, its mostly heavy in the centre. The centre channel is playing at its hardest throughout the film with milder lows on the left and right, I don’t need to do waterfalls I’ve played this film, far too many times.

Wow how do I put the screen shots in chronicle order!?:banghead: sigh That is not how I uploaded it’s how the software wants to sort it.

[JBL 4645]

Now for Cat People I have to make it sound louder and make something “Inglorious Basterds” (2009) on blueray sound like a vitaphone “Inglorious Basterds” is a depressing and totally rubbish film!

I’ll trade the film for region 1 DVD of "Rollerball" (1975) original just to get rid of “Inglorious Basterds”!

The LFE.1 track shows more or less the same narrow range only fattened up to put the track in your face!

The last few seconds of the cinema burning down with a few time bombs KABOOM!

The range is not unique with the explosion on the LFE.1 in fact I’m bored to tears with it.:crying:

Now Michael Minkler comes of like right Muppet. He’s worked along side with Kevin O’Connell in the past and what jerk.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gSLLzRmIhQ

He comes off like idiot, trying to sound edit, engage that oversized melon of pea size brain. Umm, mm Umm stuttering pursing. The paint on the wall would have dried by the time, he engages his mind!

[JBL 4645]

This scene still makes me laugh when Robert Loggia unleashes his road rage!:p

I want you to get a fu&kers drivers manual” LOL “I want you to study that motherfu&ker! And I want to obey the god damn rules!”


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8YRKmuCfS0

Play.com doesn’t have a region 1 DVD only region 2 and bit overpriced at £20.00 for special edition.
http://images.play.com/covers/693473m.jpg

Single DVD £16.98
http://images.play.com/covers/103842m.jpg

I'll think about it, I'd like to get a region 1 DVD.

[JBL 4645]

Leviathan (1989) turned up early this morning.

Region 1 NTSC
Dolby stereo 4.2.4
Scope 2.35:1 (16:9)
Running time 1hour 38 minutes

Animated main menu

Extras: Theatrical trailer

DVD encoding and authoring by Laserpacific media corporation

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097737/
Full list
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097737/fullcredits#cast

The colour balance is spot on no issues with (green cyan smearing) with blue colours with white lighting in the underwater scenes that was filmed in smoked out stage to simulate the illusion.

If this ever got transferred to bluray it should have the same unaltered transfer as there is nothing wrong with colour balance or brightness/contrast levels.

A mild bit EE is visible

Dolby stereo sounds fine (a bit soft in level). Fader level I’ve set to +3db a bit higher than normal (only the HP filters over LCR on the LF is keeping the harshness down with the HF turned down on all HF outputs on the DCX2496 not all the way down just enough to bring the level inline where the LF higher end starts to drop off).

Surrounds are balanced to single screen front channel.

S/W re-mix is switched to (ON) to send the last 2 octaves to the JBL sub or (sub bass extension as I would call it). The smaller sub has its outputs muted so no need for it, unless it’s discrete 4.0/4.1/5.1 Dolby mix.

Its too bad “The Abyss” (1989) wasn’t treated with the same respect to proper colour balance as “Leviathan”, it’s down to lousy video engineers or few that take pride in their profession.

I’m guessing the lowers only go as low as 30Hz, I’d have to check with the Spectrumlab later on and see how far down or what parts have the highest peak.


I see “Leviathan” being watched the most over the new bluray/DVD “Avatar”.

Leviathan has had its second running today and that is more than I gave “Avatar” for its first day release in the JBL control home cinema.

The film was dubbed Alien underwater thou there’s no alien just man tampering with genetics of human DNA and turning humans into fish like beings so they can work underwater or what ever?

The one line in the film where the, Doc played by (Richard Grenna) translates Greek into English.
Don’t fuck with Mother Nature

Some nice LCR occasionally clear dialogue panning moves from right to centre or hard panned left.

Jerry Goldsmith’s score has nice other worldly feel a bit different from his Alien score (1979) which had less music time though its almost 2 hour running time.

The film as clichés of Alien with eight crew members in Leviathan and 7 in Alien or eight if you count Jones the cat!

One by one the crew dies of horribly.

If there is one scene in the film that I find distressing is where (Lisa Eilbacher) Bridget Bowman losses her hair after sharing a drinking from (Daniel Stern) Buzz 'Sixpack' Parrish who has already taken new form and later the two merge together in yucky slimy way.

I liked the chactutre played by (Hector Elizondo) G. P. Cobb too bad he was bumped off near towards the end.

(Meg Foster) Martin has nice blue eyes gives he chactutre a cold feel where she is delaying by picking the crew up in emergency rescue, would sooner see them die.

The scene where it grabs (Michael Carmine) Tony 'DeJesus' Rodero in the kitchen is laughable today.

(Ernie Hudson) Justin Jones gives some cheesy one-liners too bad the sea creature thing got him at the end. Talk about having a bad day when sharks start surrounding them on the surface.

Only two survive in each of these films Ripley and Jones the cat in Alien. Leviathan Steven Beck (Peter Weller) and Elizabeth 'Willie' Williams (Amanda Pays) only make it. I mean she looked bit like a sexy cat.:p

[JBL 4645]

Just a few "Leviathan" waterfalls from the open titles to end credits satisfied me.

I like the whale sound effect in the opening titles as the scene goes deeper and deeper down to bottom of the ocean floor.

[JBL 4645]

Beck punches his boss Martin with whack! He feels better now. :p

Dolby stereo SR was the best analogue sound in its day, thou rarely used today unless the digital track is damaged then it switches automatically from Dolby digital to Dolby SR.

[JBL 4645]

I just ordered “Lost Highway” region 2 (£9.99) as I can’t find a decent region 1 DVD with six-track Dolby stereo.

http://images.play.com/covers/693473m.jpg

I want you to get a fu&kers drivers manual” LOL “I want you to study that motherfu&ker! And I want to obey the god damn rules!
Mr.Eddy:D

[JBL 4645]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs605.snc3/31885_435725155148_669675148_6096484_1968321_n.jpg

As of yesterday all (new bluray titles) that come with dtsHDMA have now been banned in this, JBL home cinema.

Now if the studios make it mandatory to release titles with equal fairness for (the paying consumer) to use both DOLBY TURE and dtshdma without forcing dtshdma onto the paying consumer.

Studio offenders are

20th Century Fox
Sony pictures
Optimum Releasing
Universal Pictures

Warner bros are now slyly moving over to it and betraying DOLBY!

Paramount Pictures are still holding strong with DOLBY yet some titles have been released with dual sound formats giving equal rights to (the paying consumer) but for how long?



The ban on dtsHDMA bluray won’t be lifted in this JBL home cinema until DOLBY TRUE and dtshdma are mandatory on all bluray titles as an international standard.

Bluray titles that I presently have (since I have now stopped buying bluray) the titles not are not the the banned list are.

Star Trek
Star Trek the motion picture
Star Trek II the wrath of Khan
Star Trek III the search for Spock
Star Trek IV the voyage home
Star Trek V the final frontier
Star Trek VI the undiscovered country

Pearl Harbor
Crimson Tide

Blue Thunder (well it is banned because it has FAKE DOLBY STEREO 5.1 remix that is fit for a paper shedder and dustbin full of rats!)

2010 the year we make contact (same as above)

The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
History of Violence
Cliffhanger
The 6th Day
Terminator 3
Grease
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
We Were Soldiers
Top Gun
HEAT
Casino Royale
Black Rain (same as above FAKE DOLBY 5.1 remix with fake stereo surrounds!)
2001 a space odyssey (same as above FAKE DOLBY 5.1 remix with fake stereo surrounds!)
The Towering Inferno Warner has lied and produced it with abomination dtshdma while deceiving (the paying consumer) that its DOLBY TRUE 5.1 when in fact its scummy dtshdma.

Only the 4.0 mix is DOLBY

bluray titles with dtshdma that are totally banned in this JBL home cinema

Whiteout
Total Recall
Inglorious Basterds
The Bourne Supremacy
The Bourne Ultimatum
Die Hard 2
The Hurt Locker
2012
Surrogates
Avatar
Independence Day
Terminator 2 Judgement Day
Leon
The Thing
Stargate

[JBL 4645]

Star Trek THX audio limiter OFF and ON

I can maximize the softer scenes while a leash holds onto the aggressive “boom channel” LFE.1 moments that would otherwise damage subs totally at these levels without THX audio limiter being turned ON.

The DCX2496 dynamic EQ on channels ABC LCR tames the overall splitting headache with -15db 12db octave LP stretched from 20Hz to 12 KHz threshold level -39.0db keeps the softer scenes clear and loud ear blistering moments tamed. The amp levels are set accordantly, with dynamicEQ turned OFF it would be uncomfortable to listen too!

Since the surrounds doesn’t have DCX2496 at present I have to manually adjust the secondary EQ to reduce the high peak levels in the mid to high range to give a smooth panning response while keep the surrounds warm on the bass mid.

DOLBY TRUE is bitching wicked on this film.

[JBL 4645]

I have to say many months on now STAR TREK 2009 is by far the number#1 bluray with spot on colour balance brightness and contrast levels and with DOLBY 6track TRUE DIGITAL which makes it the JBL experience! over Avatar (2009) which has some THX colour balance issues that I spotted plus the dtsHDMA doesn’t help since I have banned the film in this JBL home cinema only the region2DVD DOLBY DIGITAL is allowed!

Avatar only had one day viewing and it wasn’t even worthy of the LCD video projector at 1080i it got viewed on regular CRT widescreen!

Sooty no longer approves of AVATAR http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon13.png

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs545.ash1/31885_436351590148_669675148_6109629_4002525_n.jpg

[JBL 4645]

Sliver (1993) is an okay film with mystery and some sexual hot sex scenes and owner of the building who as taste for voyeurism peeking on the tenants’ privacy Zake (William Baldwin) has interests in new tenant Carly (Sharon Stone) who has just moved in slowly seduces her into steamy sex. :smsex:

[JBL 4645]

Sliver :smsex:

[JBL 4645]

Sliver :smsex:

The surrounds use as sweeps around when Zake isn’t having sex with Carly voices from all the apartments surround. The UB40 track I can't help falling in love is heard as background music and then heard on the end credits sounds neat.

[JBL 4645]

Sliver waterfalls :smsex:

[JBL 4645]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs048.ash2/35754_439452045148_669675148_6199796_4708839_n.jpg

I’ve just pre-BANNED the following new titles on bluray in this JBL home cinema because its dtsHDMA!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs082.ash2/37428_439025970148_669675148_6185667_7013976_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs162.snc4/37428_439016735148_669675148_6185333_4587828_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs162.snc4/37428_439007970148_669675148_6184870_4263354_n.jpg

[JBL 4645]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs073.ash2/36983_443220495148_669675148_6297679_6224044_n.jpg

Into The Night (1985) region1DVD arrived this morning. Its not a bad transfer colour looks fine, brightness needed tiny increase along with contrast. Mono soundtrack can sound a bit odd on some dialogue passages where its ether been ADR it has this gasp like sound? The background atmosphere effects like ambiance plays fine chapter 11 where Ed meets (David Bowie) just listen!

I’ve watched this many times before on VHS PAL. When two strangers stumble into international intrigue in the middle of a Los Angels airport at night, anything can happen.

The cast is superb with famous directors making cameo appearances (David Cronenberg) (Jim Henson) and films directed (John Landis).

Ed (Jeff Goldblum) is insomniac his wife is having an affair with a co-worker real estate salesmen.

Diana (Michelle Pfeiffer) has just smuggled some rare emeralds and the Iranians want them and a France man also wants them!

Ed and Diana are being chased all over L.A. into the late hours.

Music by Ira Newborn and B.B King take you into the night its got scares laughs and action.

Some slight confusion regarding the soundtrack the imdb states it being (stereo) several other sites clam its Dolby5.1. It is in fact (monaural).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089346/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Night_(film)

[JBL 4645]

New on the upcoming Alien Anthology (UK BD) in October 2010

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs035.ash2/35134_447896610148_669675148_6419194_4329174_n.jpg

Not in the least bit interested. Its obvious that most studios have signed some agreement to use dts-HDMA on all its old and new title releases.

Wow it’s a good thing I didn’t buy a new AVR otherwise DOLBY TRUE-HD will be just one lethargic sound format that DOLBY doesn’t care about seeing their sound format product on the bluray.

I don’t see any screen credit on the Alien films that states dts in all four films, even thou Alien Resurrection 1997 was released in DOLBY SR-D and dts which I heard at the UCI 12 screen Lee Valley and the dts sounded rubbish in fact the whole cinema sounded rubbish! It was overly too bright with hardly any stage front or surround bass weight and sub bass sounded like :barf: crappy Samsung flat screen TV set of today!


While it might have these features It took me a few moments to suss out the sly scam with this.

Fox Home Entertainment have announced the UK Blu-ray Disc release of Alien Anthology on 25th October 2010. From the press release…

All four ALIEN films have been reinvigorated for an intense Blu-ray high-definition viewing experience. The release also marks the debut of MU-TH-UR Mode, a fully interactive companion that takes the extensive materials in the ALIEN ANTHOLOGY and puts them in the user's hand - connecting fans to special features on all six discs and instantly providing an index of all available ALIEN content, including over 60 hours of special features and over 12,000 images. ALIEN ANTHOLOGY will also be available in a Limited Edition Collector's Set featuring 'The Guardian' - an exclusive illuminated egg statue sculpted by Sideshow Collectibles®.

The ALIEN ANTHOLOGY is a truly unique home entertainment experience. For the first time ever, the studio has united the material from every home video release of the ALIEN saga including the 1991/1992 laserdisc releases, the 1999 "Legacy" release and 2003's groundbreaking ALIEN QUADRILOGY release into one complete Blu-ray collection. The set also includes two versions of each film and over four hours of previously unreleased exclusive material such as original screen tests of Sigourney Weaver prior to filming the original ALIEN, unseen deleted scenes, thousands of still photographs from the Fox archives, the previously unseen original cut of "Wreckage and Rage: The Making of ALIEN3," and much, much more.

The ALIEN ANTHOLOGY is just one aspect of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment's yearlong campaign to honor the studio's 75th birthday. This year the division will debut several select fan-favorites on Blu-ray for the first time ever including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge! and The Sound of Music.

DISC ONE: ALIEN
1979 Theatrical Version
2003 Director's Cut with Ridley Scott Introduction
Audio Commentary by Director Ridley Scott, Writer Dan O'Bannon, Executive Producer Ronald Shusett, Editor Terry Rawlings, Actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt
Audio Commentary (for Theatrical Cut only) by Ridley Scott
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith
Composer's Original Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC TWO: ALIENS
1986 Theatrical Version
1991 Special Edition with James Cameron Introduction
Audio Commentary by Director James Cameron, Producer Gale Anne Hurd, Alien Effects Creator Stan Winston, Visual Effects Supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, Miniature Effects Supervisor Pat McClung, Actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by James Horner
Composer's Original Isolated Score by James Horner
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC THREE: ALIEN3
1992 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition (Restored Workprint Version)
Audio Commentary by Cinematographer Alex Thomson, B.S.C., Editor Terry Rawlings, Alien Effects Designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., Visual Effects Producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., Actors Paul McGann and Lance Henriksen
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Elliot Goldenthal
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC FOUR: ALIEN RESURRECTION
1997 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition with Jean-Pierre Jeunet Introduction
Audio Commentary by Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Editor Hervé Schneid, A.C.E., Alien Effects Creators Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., Visual Effects Supervisor Pitof, Conceptual Artist Sylvain Despretz, Actors Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon and Leland Orser
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by John Frizzell
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC FIVE: MAKING THE ANTHOLOGY
In addition to over 12 hours of candid, in-depth documentaries, you now have the ability to go even deeper into Alien Anthology history with nearly five hours of additional video Enhancement Pods created exclusively for this collection, presenting behind-the-scenes footage, raw dailies and interview outtakes from all four films. At topical points in the documentaries, you may access these pods to enhance your experience, or watch them on their own from the separate Enhancement Pod index.

The Beast Within: Making ALIEN
The Visualists: Direction and Design
Truckers in Space: Casting
Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978
The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet
The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design
Future Tense: Editing and Music
Outward Bound: Visual Effects
A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods

Superior Firepower: Making ALIENS
57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction
Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
This Time It's War: Pinewood Studios, 1985
The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action
Bug Hunt: Creature Design
Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs. Queen Alien
Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound
The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects
Aliens Unleashed: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods

Wreckage and Rage: Making ALIEN3
Development Hell: Concluding the Story
Tales of the Wooden Planet: Vincent Ward's Vision
Stasis Interrupted: David Fincher's Vision
Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Giger's Redesign
The Color of Blood: Pinewood Studios, 1991
Adaptive Organism: Creature Design
The Downward Spiral: Creative Differences
Where the Sun Burns Cold: Fox Studios, L.A. 1992
Optical Fury: Visual Effects
Requiem for a Scream: Music, Editing and Sound
Post-Mortem: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods

One Step Beyond: Making ALIEN RESURRECTION
From the Ashes: Reviving the Story
French Twist: Direction and Design
Under the Skin: Casting and Characterization
Death from Below: Fox Studios, Los Angeles, 1996
In the Zone: The Basketball Scene
Unnatural Mutation: Creature Design
Genetic Composition: Music
Virtual Aliens: Computer Generated Imagery
A Matter of Scale: Miniature Photography
Critical Juncture: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience to Access and Control Enhancement Pods

DISC SIX: THE ANTHOLOGY ARCHIVES

ALIEN
Pre-Production
First Draft Screenplay by Dan O'Bannon
Ridleygrams: Original Thumbnails and Notes
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Alien: Conceptual Art Portfolio
Sigourney Weaver Screen Tests with Select Director Commentary
Cast Portrait Gallery
Production
The Chestbuster: Multi-Angle Sequence with Commentary
Video Graphics Gallery
Production Image Galleries
Continuity Polaroids
The Sets of Alien
H.R. Giger's Workshop Gallery
Post-Production and Aftermath
Additional Deleted Scenes
Image & Poster Galleries
Experience in Terror
Special Collector's Edition LaserDisc Archive
The Alien Legacy
American Cinematheque: Ridley Scott Q&A
Trailers & TV Spots

ALIENS
Pre-Production
Original Treatment by James Cameron
Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Videomatics with Commentary
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Aliens: Image Galleries
Cast Portrait Gallery
Production
Production Image Galleries
Continuity Polaroids
Weapons and Vehicles
Stan Winston's Workshop
Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
Video Graphics Gallery
Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers
Post-Production and Aftermath
Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned
Deleted Scene Montage
Image Galleries
Special Collector's Edition LaserDisc Archive
Main Title Exploration
Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright
Trailers & TV Spots

ALIEN3
Pre-Production
Storyboard Archive
The Art of Arceon
The Art of Fiorina
Production
Furnace Construction: Time-Lapse Sequence
EEV Bioscan: Multi-Angle Vignette with Commentary
Production Image Galleries
A.D.I.'s Workshop
Post-Production and Aftermath
Visual Effects Gallery
Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
Alien3 Advance Featurette
The Making of Alien3 Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots

ALIEN RESURRECTION
Pre-Production
First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon
Test Footage: A.D.I. Creature Shop with Commentary
Test Footage: Costumes, Hair and Makeup
Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Rehearsals
Storyboard Archive
The Marc Caro Portfolio: Character Designs
The Art of Resurrection: Image Galleries
Production
Production Image Galleries
A.D.I.'s Workshop
Post-Production and Aftermath
Visual Effects Gallery
Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
HBO First Look: The Making of Alien Resurrection
Alien Resurrection Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots

ALIEN ANTHOLOGY
Two Versions of Alien Evolution
The Alien Saga
Patches and Logos Gallery
Aliens 3D Attraction Scripts and Gallery
Aliens in the Basement: The Bob Burns Collection
Parodies
Dark Horse Cover Gallery
Patches and Logos Gallery
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience


I know for one fact Alien 1979 will be the same version as produced for the last box set edition that I have, with the same sly rubbish centre phantom being mixed onto the centre discrete channel.

The audio commentary tracks are the same and too bad they didn’t include the first edition audio commentary with Ridley Scott.

The rest of the isolated scores on Aliens Alien 3 and Alien 4 are tempting but no, not when the bluray is forcing dts-HDMA on me a sound format that I don’t care to use!

Alien isolated score is the same as the first edition DVD so some slight confusion here or just some slight sly hand tricky at jumbling the extra features up alongside Alien 1979.

20th century Fox you can keep it!

[JBL 4645]

“Days of Thunder” (1990) region2 DVD

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs074.snc4/35056_447087715148_669675148_6399621_2184913_n.jpg

[JBL 4645]

“Independence Day” 1996 bluray brought last year before I finally got pissed off about the use of dtsHDMA

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs036.ash2/35138_446754880148_669675148_6391395_3677718_n.jpg

[JBL 4645]

"Titanic" (1997) region2 DVD first edition

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[JBL 4645]

Found this compression of Rogers & Hammerstein South Pacific

I have the 1999 version that I brought around 2000 sometime.

1:39 oh my god seeing it going though the colour filter change is like a bad acid trip! :barf: Total yuck for the lower right image all the detail as been muted and its hard to see its like warring one of those dodgy 3D glasses with red and blue filters.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq0ILSRbawk&NR=1&feature=fvwp


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBGx7jVZqiU&feature=related

[JBL 4645]

Fiddler on the Roof

I’ve only seen it on panned and scanned PAL VHS Hi-Fi stereo tape during the 1980’s I can’t recall what the colour balance looked like. Looking at the colour between all four versions Lower left looks how like how I would see a blue sky the scope version 2.35:1 looks like colour manipulation is behind it!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvOij_80bSE&feature=related

[JBL 4645]

THE GREAT ESCAPE

I have to re-watch this I think the version I have is the somewhere around 2000 and what version?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5njqAr2rEs&feature=related

Edit:
I have the DVD here for viewing later on in the day. The artwork is with “the Cooler King” McQueen on the motorbike its region2 DVD that is slightly different from the region1 DVD just a tiny difference.

The framing here is big issue and I wonder at times are these video engineers blind or have a hard time seeing the image as its on the film, print without the need or use of glasses! Wow some video engineers shouldn’t even be allowed near a telecine.

[JBL 4645]

CinemaScope 55 - Documentary - RESTORING CINEMASCOPE 55


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFc-TWmaKjs

[JBL 4645]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs207.snc4/38685_452046045148_669675148_6528731_3766397_n.jpg

I just watched the trailer to “Shutter Island” (2009) and noticed it was Paramount Pictures release.

I got interested into buying it on bluray then started to look around for some facts on its sound format. OMG dtsHDMA has now gotten to Paramount Pictures! dtsHDMA is like a fucking virus plague that needs to be stopped dead in its tracks!
:dead_horse:

Well I won’t be buying your film Martin Scorsese not while it has dtsHDMA on it!

So Shutter Island (2009) is on the early pre-order bluray BAN list!
I might think about buying the region 1 DVD with 6trackDOLBY STEREO DIGITAL.

[JBL 4645]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs177.snc4/38204_452029665148_669675148_6528169_7618842_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs230.snc4/38853_452029170148_669675148_6528158_2504548_n.jpg

Feed up with the lousy colour balance on the rubbish region 2 DVD of Poltergeist which is the same as the region 1 special edition produced for the bluray, heap of rubbish format!

“Coma” (1978) I can see this getting multiple viewings for each evening.

The titles where sent out yesterday, 10 to 14 day delivery for Coma and 3 to 4 days for Poltergeist.

Spooky thing is there both MGM releases and they each have a Jerry Goldsmith score. Coma is W/S mono 1.0 and Poltergeist is scope Dolby stereo 5.1.

[JBL 4645]

This turned up fast! They must have posted it by Poltergeist Express!:D

Wow the colour for non-anamorphic 16:9 looks startling in the letterbox 2.35:1 I can see details in brighter scenes where the colours would otherwise be smeared and masked on the (special edition that was later used for bluray).

The region 1, 6track Dolby stereo mix is virtually the same except for difference of +9db over the PAL region 2 version. I think I’ll stick with this version thank you!:bouncy:

The chapter stops on the region 1 are an insane 48 over the region 2 DVD special edition which is only 30 chapters.

Duel layer double side with panned and scanned 4:3 version on side B Dolby film level is the same loudness.

None of this overblown green colour washing over brightly lit images when the light shines though the child’s closet, just a soft smooth blue colours with whites and other various optical effects that dazzle the eye while light flicks/strobes.

Trailer is Dolby 1.0 keeping it centred on the centre channel.

[JBL 4645]

Poltergeist region 1 VS Poltergeist region 2 special edition I ran a simple scene that had some effective LFE.1 channel only, when the group make rope up to go though the light to the other side?

Fader was 0db all channel outputs 0db including LFE.1.

I can see a slight puncher 28Hz low end on the region 1 due to the non 4% PAL speed-up of region 2 DVD.

[JBL 4645]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs211.snc4/38872_453045140148_669675148_6556056_6396989_n.jpg

[JBL 4645]

I can predict “The A-Team” (2010) getting dtsHDMA propaganda on bluray therefore it has been automatically BANNED from playing in this JBL home cinema!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs199.snc4/38288_453053050148_669675148_6556328_8196031_n.jpg

[JBL 4645]

Aliens “special edition” arrived early last week same as version as the region 2 special edition except for lousy PAL 4% speed-up.

Still I’m looking for theatrical release which comes as single packing or part of the box-set at lower price “now”.

The production sound doesn’t fit in too well with the theatrical “academy award best sound effects edition” unlike the theatrical version which sounds good on its own.

[JBL 4645]

“The Twilight Zone the movie” (1983) arrived this morning. I was unaware a DVD existed till I saw a region2DVD in HMV last week. I decided to buy a region1DVD from play.com as I can’t stand the PAL 4% speed-up.

The picture quality looks brilliant but I’m really listening to is the DOLBY STEREO 5.1 with duel monaural surrounds with conventional LCR and occasional LFE.1 that supports certain scenes.

Most of the bass is covered over LCR with small amounts in the surrounds. I find it a bit top end over the fronts on Jerry Goldsmith score but I can fix that with the Behringer DCX2496 I’ll just make a few trims to fatten up the bass/mid and lower the HF LCRS.

The discrete use of (Burgess Meredith) narration on the opening introduction has his voice panning over LCR with effects that pass over the surrounds.

Prologue: is creepy you don’t expect it Dan Aykroyd turning into some thing and attacking Albert Brooks LOL.

I like segment #4 John Lithgow freaking out and causing panic at 20,000 feet while segment#3 music fades into the surrounds discretely low thunder rumble moves over LCR (at the same time) till a few seconds into John Valentine’s nightmare.

[JBL 4645]

I ran chapter 22, time, 81min 02sec though the spectrumlab and was expecting peak within 40Hz to 60Hz range.

Wow this was kinder unexpected as the LFE.1 can be somewhat unpredictable even on some old films. The remix here shows the range extending down below 10Hz so be careful with the level.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk279/SpectrumsubbassLFE13417/TheTwilightZonethemovieLFE1Gremlin20000feet.jpg

[JBL 4645]

Arrived two weeks ago and got nearly full days viewing over the lousy cheep bluray "Avatar" with crap (dtsHDMA) "Avatar" what a pile of puke! :barf:

COMA is far better, spine tingling thriller that even had me paranoid at times thinking who’s behind the conspiracy plot to put patients in state of purpose comatose, to later have their organs remove on phone bidding.

[JBL 4645]

Due for October 5th release and already its on the bluray dtsHDMA BANNED list for playing in this JBL home cinema.

Fox are too lazy to give paying consumers DOLBY TRUE-HD and dtshdma on the same disc too lazy!

[JBL 4645]

Seven due for October 25th release has already been placed on the bluray dts :barf:HDMA BANNED list for playing in this JBL home cinema.

[JBL 4645]

Two versions of the film/DVD the one on right side is the region2 BBFC cut version which I’ve had for 8 or 9 years now and the one on the left is the un-cut version with 3 minutes extra. The version on the CRT is US version as just can’t stand PAL 4% speed-up anymore.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116213/

The first edition region1 DVD that I brought off play.com about two weeks ago was all scratched up and beyond playing on the Pioneer DV-515 it locked-up with green pixels on the scope side of the double side DVD the panned and scanned side had fewer scratches but I don’t care for seeing a film panned and scanned with half the image missing.

Some scenes where a gun is fired and somewhere in the soundtrack I can hear jump as if its missing a few in-between frames. When Monroe is shot in the PAL version its just one shot. In the US version its two shots and so on with other violent scenes.

You have just been erased.

The freight-train wreak, towards the end was the highlight to see the bad guys getting rammed into an exploding fireball heap of metal flaming carnage wreckage!

This one delivers nice mindless action thought-out the films running time, even jumping out of jet airplane to catch the parachute that as fell out the plane. The visual effects, from stage action cut in with actual aerial footage makes the scene look daring, and with main chute damaged and one reserve chute left and Earth picking up fast had me, with sweaty palms as hate heights.

I still think coming in a few miles per second or what ever would shatter ones legs landing onto the roof of car just seconds after reserve chute opens to decelerate the speed, or ether you’d have one BIG sprain ankle!

If I select Dolby pro-logic on the surround channel to reroute key action surround pans to centre back as well as overheard matrix height has a computerized woman’s voice (“fire alert. Fire alert. This is not a drill. Please proceed to the nearest exit.”) sounding on the overheard while its still being passed though matrix decoder with (overheard switched off) it has faint sound on the centre back surround, only the water is heard from the sprinkler system.

On left and right surrounds the voice is heard but muffled and only parts of the Alan Silvestri score is heard and this film was mixed some years before Dolby surround-EX came out in 1999.

It sounds like anti-phase was applied. When sat to one side the room the overheard still sounds clearly while I look upwards as if there are small PA speakers in the buildings hallways sounding the alarm.

Bass mid low end is not bad on the surrounds even while LCR/LFE.1 is muted with some levels coming in around 80dbc to 85dbc is plenty loud enough, they can reach just over (100dbc each) but are EQ for to give a level of single front channel otherwise I’d be drowned out in noise.

[JBL 4645]

A little birdie just told me.

It's just been announced that the Blu-Ray box set will be 5.1 DTS-MA audio only, with no Dolby soundtrack.:barf:

Therefore I have automatically BANNED STAR WARS on bluray to play in this JBL "JEDI BLASTER LIGHTSABER" home cinema.

If this was HD-DVD it would be mandatory to use Dolby True-HD but it doesn’t seem fair on films that was released exclusively in dts on theatrical release. All I’m, looking for is equal consumer fairness and that just doesn’t exist on Bluray.

STAR WARS has been the talk for years about its “surround sound” as some called in during early 80’s if it wasn’t for DOLBY who pioneered and made advanced audio improvements not just 35mm optical but for 70mm.

Oh, well that’s it I'm no longer interested in George Lucas and his fucking flying crap of force. STAR WARS for me, finished yeas ago and this guy has forgot want the fans graciously want. He just won’t deliver and how hard or painful for him would it be, to release the originals?:banghead:

No one practically likes the DVD editions or that fast one that he pulled a few years after the 2004 release or was it 2005 with that so called original STAR WARS that was really taken directly from the THX laserdisc CAV box-set, RIP OFF!

Well that’s no more rubbish bluray format for me.

[JBL 4645]

You can only watch and listen so much of this bluray crap till it makes you want to throw it out the window.

I don’t mind the DOLBY TrueHD or DOLBY DIGITAL at all, it’s the crappy picture that makes this bluray an epic total failure.

The screen capture here from the region 2 DVD shows more image detail than then bluray! I don’t have a bluray drive for the pc for screen capture, but take my word look at your version of the region1 early edition and the so called prefect bluray HD format LMAO.

If it was perfect why do studios use so much DNR and over brightness of the image to con the paying consumer?

The lights on the train on the bluray have so much brightness that it washes out in details and what is the point of that? Wow these video engineers must be in donkey fu%^king category of idiots.

I’ll have to buy The Matrix on region1 DVD early edition as I assume the version I have was later produced for DVD so it’s the later version that is at serious technical fault and shouldn’t have been allowed to make its way onto the streets, least of all been used for bluray which really gives the HD format a bad name.

With only a few a few bluray titles I have out of near 60 only a few a few look technically correct and a few isn’t just good enough. If the image is total viewing crap then bluray HD doesn’t deserve any place on market, it belongs in a rubbish bin period!


The studios only give themselves a bad name.

Also the detection of DNR looks apparent on the bluray so the trueness of the films 35mm original grittiness is hopelessly lost in the HD. I guess the studios fear consumer complaints that they can see noise on the image in the form of film-grain and then render it in DNR to make it look as if it was filmed with crappy HD cameras.

I just give up with CrapRay!

Early DVD editions make bluray look like fuzzy blurry images. That’s it Bluray = Blurry I should have known this from the beginning before wasting money on it.

I’m going to rate the blurry bluray -10 out of -10 fit for a fR%(king microwave oven!:banghead:

I’m going to rate the DVD 10 out of 10 for picture quality. DVD stands for Delightfully Visual Dreams Delicious Video Desires. :)

[JBL 4645]

This bluray surprisingly gets the thumbs up (oh, that would be too nice of me) well maybe a neutral thumb on its side that at least would be acceptable, and its got sod to Daniel Craig who plays it fine. The image is about the same as the DVD expect for the HD. I haven’t even bothered yet watching 1 minute of the bluray at 1080i looks fine on the CRT 32” none-HD TV.

As for the sound format LPCM 5.1 no thanks the film was produced and mixed in DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 and won a BAFTA for best sound achievement. DOLBY DIGITAL sounds just as loud and thrilling even on DVD with lows below 20Hz is more than enough to damage loudspeakers if carelessly used.

Must have moved the camera slightly as the image is a tiny fraction blurry but at least the camera can focus from 11 inches where the other camera it would hopeless.

Now the cover is readable like a laserdisc cover.

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzCiqN2WPXc

I noticed that some keywords are filtered with bullshit copyright clam. So what’s the point in getting a message over its not to infringe copyright I couldn’t care less about uploading the whole film that is not my mission.

This is COMA which is getting on to be the second most watched DVD region1 (in mono) over the lousy bluray crappyRay Avatar, dtsHDMA 5.1 now then!

I noticed a buzzing sound obviously it was to do with the video connection a little Gremlin has gotten into the pc on youtube LOL the buzzing is not on COMA its to do with the connection and it’s the first time I’ve noticed it as I’ve uploaded many other short videos in the past without buzzing noise so don’t listen to that (listen for the word “Greely”) it distorts slightly for second.

Could it be production recoding or ADR or something to do with the DVD master tape transfer it was easy to notice and besides it doesn’t really bother me, that much.

The audio dropped out of sync on youtube which is typical of the site its not the DVD that is out of sync. if the video stutters for 1 second the audio will be out of sync but at least you can hear it! Its only youtube not DVD cinema its youtube!

The video is not great it’s uploaded via webcam for faster upload. If I want 100% sharp clear picture I’ll watch the DVD on the CRT in my living room.

[JBL 4645]

Aliens will be de-grained OMG its going to look like total crap on bluray LOL not that I care to buying it. I’ve seen it many times projected and it looked fine which is why I and many fans around the time of 1986 saw it more than once and at special late night Alien double bill shows during early 1990’s.


Director/filmmaker James Cameron said: "It's spectacular. We went in and completely de-noised it, :blink: de-grained it, up-rezzed, colour-corrected every frame and it looks amazing. :barf: It looks better that it looked in the theatres originally. Because it was shot on a high-speed negative that was a new negative that didn't pan out too well and got replaced the following year. So it's pretty grainy. We got rid of all the grain. It's sharper and clearer and more beautiful than it's ever looked. And we did that to the long version, to the 'director's cut' or the extended play."

Video on site link
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=68820

Well that’s just the kiss of death for “Aliens” on bluray epic fail and as for the colourist on Avatar who left a poor tail, tail sign in colour balance that turned me right of the film after 2 minutes running. I can only expect the bluray to be plugged with colour issues, that you would never see projected in cinema, never!

This would be worse than DNR-ing the death out of film for consumer video market.

Thanks goodness I didn’t sale the DVD edition! Might be a good time to look for the laserdisc editions of this classic film.

[JBL 4645]

Like the bass beat on the James Horner score at chapter 21, time 137min 26sec

It’s a bit milder on the stereo surrounds. Centre carries flute then music goes mute in centre while the lower end plays on left/front fronts and surrounds. Moments later the music starts to fade back in on the centre. Effects play over LCRS while principle characters voices are centred with a crewman giving out orders on right front with half the voice in the centre.

[JBL 4645]

Re-listening and yet another missing sound effect after watching the NTSC laserdisc briefly a few weeks ago which eats the original DVD/bluray for dinner!

Still I had a locked firm memory of sound effects placement going back 20 years.

The bluray is missing an electrical sparking sound effect on (right channel HF) at 01:17:47 on English Dolby TrueHD not really TureHD enough I would say! Paramount Pictures must be deaf as f)+$king post!

However the sound effect appears on
Audio -2/7 DEU Dolby digital 2.0
Audio -3/7 SPA Dolby digital 2.0
Audio -4/7 FRA Dolby digital 2.0
Audio -6/7 ENG Dolby digital 2.0 (audio commentary)
There’s a brief purse in the audio commentary where the sound effect is heard! Now! Which version are they viewing? I’d say US version and it’s possible and the UK versions are botched up ones! Maybe. Only way to confirm this is, to buy the region1DVD.

Audio -7/7 ENG Dolby digital 2.0 (audio commentary)

Not on these audio channels
Audio -1/7 ENG Dolby TrueHD
Audio -5/7 ITA Dolby digital 5.1

Done some further investigation with first edition region2DVD and its missing on the English Dolby 5.1 track. The German Dolby digital 2.0 track has the electrical sparking sound effect. SIGH

Special edition region2DVD directors edition. SIGH, again English Dolby digital 5.1 (missing)! German Dolby 2.0 track has the sound effect.

Never give up your laserdisc collection for this cheap bluray format.

[JBL 4645]

Screen captures courtesy of dvdbeaver http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare2/alien.htm

Its obvious Fox has slightly rushed Alien on bluray (the so called “perfect” format) it looks like there using a pervious version used for DVD which looks like, third one only slightly opened up on the sides, on the bluray but not good enough, not even close or near for me, to watch, its useless!

I’ll keep the 20th anniversary edition region1, :bouncy: which shows just bit more on the sides over the PAL version that I also have. I’ve very picky about aspect ratio, I don’t give a hoot about HD it’s bloody useless when the image is cropped!

I know this was going to happen Fox are predictable! Bluray has shown no justice since I brought it last year. What a failure and waste of money, the studios and their video engineers must be so blind!

At least I can upscale the DVD image on the bluray player.

[JBL 4645]

Buildings alarm system sounding on faintly on front right and very back of the box on centre. The alarm sound is louder on surrounds left fainter on centre back and right surround, as well as overhead surround.

The alarm voice system sounds overhead the moment the water sprinkler system has been activated with gunfire to the sprinkler, on overhead surround, while it’s a fainter sound on left and right and centre back surround.

The sound is heard over bells ringing on right front while computer voice sounds dry on centre front left/right carries an echo effect, the surround overhead as dryer sound while water sounds all around over left-sidewall right-sidewall centre back and partly in the overhead (which makes no sense because the water should be sounding at floor level!

The sprinkler itself would have whoosh like higher end sound as its spraying outwards and the rest of its trickles sound at floor level, which unfortunately I can’t do not without other sounds sounding at floor level it would end up being a total mess.

I keep wondering if this was accidentally, mixed at the time, otherwise I wouldn’t be hearing it above me. It’s possible some anti-phase was applied in the mix and the mixers didn’t know what it would sound like since Dolby-EX was uncommon at the time. Still its there if you want to fondle around with Dolby pro-logic decoder and re-wire the surrounds with extras placed on the ceiling.

Chapter 34, 84 minutes 04 seconds.

[JBL 4645]

Chapter 15, is quite relaxing with an ambiance piano/bass playing softly on the surrounds as well as over centre front while only voices plates glasses clink around over left/right front.

The outside scene leading up to the coffee shop scene with traffic passing along the surrounds makes no sense since the sound and view of the traffic is slightly ahead in the foreground. It should only pass along left centre right and right centre left as traffic moves in each road lane, unless of course the road as 4 lanes which, it doesn’t then the sound of traffic on the surrounds would make sense.

It would have been easier to place footsteps walking around on the surrounds from left to right and right to left to give the sense of people moving around while placing the listening in (standing point) on the opposite side of the road. Even a shop door opening and closing behind, with one of those little bells above the door would give a realistic sound.

[JBL 4645]

Tony Scott’s Revenge arrived today in region/Free 6channel DOLBY STEREO DIGITAL. First time I saw this dark thriller about friendship love and betrayal was on VHS PAL early around 1991. Thou it was panned & scanned not much I can remember about the picture. I do how ever remember the Jack Nitzsche score that was underplayed but deeply moving.

I can’t be asked to play film/bluray at 1080i looks fine enough on the CRT as long as I’m viewing it scope 2.35:1 (it looks fine). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100485/technical

The Dolby stereo 6channel mix so far sounds normal. It’s a bit hard to if any sly fake stereo surrounds have been folded onto mono surrounds. I monitored a few scenes with surrounds only and they seem discrete enough (in stereo). Theirs dialogue leakage on left/right front that is fairly faint, I suppose this is normal as it (often crops up in several other films) but goes fully discrete in louder moments. The centre is carrying its own discreteness with none of this folding (left/right centre phantom onto the centre discrete nonsense) like some of the other DVD and bluray titles that I’ve mentioned in previous posts.

The centre on the opening carries a deep low musical tone, left/right front as pan pipes blowing and if there was any centre phantom folding going on the pan pipes would appear in the centre channel as well as left/right front.

The interior of the cockpit on the F-14 has dialogue and parts of effects and different musical sound centred left/right is free of dialogue, only effects and music plays.

The LFE.1 has a few thunderclap slams as the F-14 blasts over the early morning sunny valley below. The LFE.1 is used sparingly while most of the sub bass extension comes from LCR with occasional low end on the surrounds.

There is one scene I noticed on chapter 15 where I’d expect some dialogue on left/right, there’s none, just ambient soft windy breeze blowing around. Centre has soft sound of fire crackling and other effects with subtle musical mid/bass beats.

Backing up a bit to chapter 14, rock music plays louder instrumentally on left/right front and surrounds while centre carries vocal echo and Foley effect of Cosnter sitting in rocking seat cricks. Surround as vocals with instrumental rock guitar while front carries just instrumental.

I think this bluray is sound so it gets the 5paw Sooty approval for sound and picture.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100485/

Runtime:
U.S.A: 124 min theatrical
U.S.A: 104 min (director's cut)
Sweden: 115 min (cut version)

I listened to part of the audio commentary and it seems Tony Scott wants a tighter cut to move the story along. I would have preferred both versions on the same disc. The theatrical version only exists on DVD in DOLBY STEREO 4.2.4 matrix only with same directors cut on DVD as well. I don’t understand why the cover says “Unrated directed cut” “unrated”

Film clocks in at 1hour 40min 21sec

The boycott on dtsHDMA bluray titles still stands. I'm only after originally mixed recorded DOLBY STEREO films in DOLBY DIGITAL TrueHD or DOLBY DIGITAL.

[JBL 4645]

A few waterfalls of the opening with the F-14 and a few LFE.1 gun shots silencer and gunshots. There's a few good Foley body punches that haven't been included maybe later.

[JBL 4645]

A little scuff starts in Motel room at chapter 13 nice body punch in the centre that was clear as well as being exaggerated.

[JBL 4645]

The Final Countdown (1980) arrived though a regional1 portal over Christmas in special edition form with newly transferred camera negative that delivers a crisper image over the recent region2 DVD that I’ve had for several years.

The colours are bolder contrast/brightness looks fresher giving film a new media life on DVD of this cult classic sci-fi.

Sound is encoded with
Dolby Stereo 4.2.4 matrix
Dolby Stereo 6channel surround-EX
dtsES 6.1

Audio commentary session with DP (director of photography) Victor J. Kemper

Trailers and TV spots

The sound in Dolby Stereo-EX was just startling now with discrete stereo surrounds, flybys by F-14 vs Mitsubishi A6M2 belted along each sidewall surrounds or directly to centre back and around and overhead and elsewhere was a different listening experience over Dolby Stereo 4.2.4 matrix.

LFE.1 was used sparely but effective when called for in the mix, thou there was reasonable sub bass extension from the LCRS.

I think I have just about throw the hardest of films at the surrounds over the years, when used sensibly 85 to 90dbc around the listening is plenty loud, thou they could reach 105dbc, but this isn’t a cinema auditorium it’s the living room.

The John Scott score opens the film on grade scale and sounds brilliant as it does throughout the film.

The U.S.S Nimitz the largest nuclear powered aircraft carrier takes an unexpected trip though a strange storm that transports the ship and its crew back to December 6th 1941 one day before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor are faced with two challenges to change the coarse of history or to ignore it as history wrote it.

The story is rather clever for 1980 and if made today not as remake as the film is well suited but with modern day computer effects might seem hockey against real aircraft that was splendidly photographed still holds up well today, providing of course you saw this at the cinema.

I would imagine the F-15A being used today, as the F-14 TomCat retired around 2006 after a good service flight history of 36 years.

[JBL 4645]

I did a quick listening of Batman Begins (2005) (that came with the Phillips BDP7300) the transfer would be the same for the DVD region2 that I have.

The audio was just about what I expected clear Dolby Digital / Dolby TrueHD 6channel.

Image well I know in few places its out of place with colour balance so I’m not going to bother picking at it again.

Extras appear to be the same? Still no audio commentary yet lots of foreign languages used in Dolby Digital.

[JBL 4645]

I did a quick listening of I Am Legend (2007) (that came with the Phillips BDP7300) the transfer would be the same for the DVD region2 that I have.

The audio was just about what I expected clear Dolby Digital / Dolby TrueHD 6channel.

Image is nicely transferred.

There are two versions of the film one with downer of an ending the other with slightly happier ending. I prefer both thou the alternate ending I prefer for closing credits with score by James Newton Howard. The theatrical version ends with It's Redemption by Bob Marley.

It’s got one real downer in the film that would have animal lovers reaching for the tissues.

I don’t mind this remake thou, I would like to have the original or other remake The Omega Man (1971) with Charlton Heston. The Last Man on Earth starred Vincent Price. The story is the same virus wipes out human civilization.

There have been a few other films made about virus one other is The Andromeda Strain (1971) and Outbreak (1995).

[JBL 4645]

The day after The Final Countdown came though the time portal on December 26th I ordered the regionFree bluray after see the DNR and EE free screen captures as this is, how films should appear free of DNR and EE that simply ruins the films grain texture as well as adding artefacts of EE is an eyesore!

So today early morning The Final Countdown arrives just 2 hours behind the Phillips BDP7300 bluray player replacement.

The story starts of with a bit of mystery as mysterious man know to world but keeps his identity hiding till the end and works out very well.

The image is about the same as the DVD as its sourced from the same print looks just as remarkable and will give it short viewing later on tonight in 1080i.

D-Box is motion device kinder like a vibrator I guess? It generates motion vibrations to different corners of the four legs on sofa or cinema seat?

It’s a bit costly and giving there are few titles on DVD and bluray that have this encoded onto the disc might seem a bi of waste of money unless the price was around a few $£hundred.

Sound
Dolby Stereo digital 6channel-EX
dtshdma 8channel
Dolby Stereo Digital TrueHD 8channel
Audio commentary

The Sony BDP-S550 doesn’t seem to indicate 7.1 on the dtshdma just (3 / 2.1 48KHz) so someone must have mistyped the text for the artwork back cove.

Dolby Stereo digital TrueHD 7.1 is outputted but after close listening to the four-channel surrounds it appears the two back surrounds are mono not stereo discrete unlike other Dolby 7.1 mixes that I’ve listened to on Star Trek originals where the four-channel surrounds are both stereo.

The sidewall surrounds on The Final Countdown are in stereo, so technical this would be Dolby 6.1, 3 /3.1 48 KHz.

A few more extras are thrown in only watched one of them so far. “The Jolly Rogers” F-14 flight squadron that participated in the filming and helped make the flying sequences look creditable as well as giving a boast to Navy publicity, kinder like what Top Gun did in (1986).

[JBL 4645]

The Final Countdown looked okay even on two year old bed sheet with cresses can’t beat a good bed sheet even thou it was suppose to be temporally.

The sound of the aircraft carriers low end fits bed sheet image nicely

[JBL 4645]

Robin Hood (2010) was going cheap at ASDA I guess this is to try and make up for the loss at the box office with cheaper sales?

It’s the no doubt the same ole story Sheriff of Nottingham taking from the poor and Robin Hood taking from the rich and giving to the poor. It better not suck!

If it does suck I’d watch Weekend and Bernies (1989) for dead laughs.

Well since I didn’t go the EMPIRE to see it I’d watch the theatrical version the directors-cut can wait till late providing the film doesn’t suck off course.

I’m not going to bother with HD 1080i it can play as 560 on the CRT first to see weather its worthy of 1080i.

I’ll format the surrounds from regular to Dolby centre back matrix with overheard surround for this one.

Not sure how much low end content is on the film so I’ll play it calmly as it goes along if it needs less sub bass extension and LFE..1 I’d give it less if sounds too bright in the midrange I’d adjust the secondary EQ for LCR.

Okay on with the flick!

[JBL 4645]

After watching the first half 1hr 11min and some seconds I felt like Robin Hood had been buggering :smsex: me in Sherwood Forest with several arrows up my :moon: !!


The dialogue mix is bit distant during the (opening battle scene) nothing wrong with the EQ / JBL it’s the dialogue mix! It does get better as the film goes along.

The sound effects are okay with dogs barking that remind me of The X-Files I want to Believe (2008) “I can’t tell I hear dogs barking” that paned around on the surrounds to fronts at the start of the film.

Arrows fly though the air I mean between the loudspeakers LCR and over to sidewall surrounds’ which made duck!

There was neat moment when Robin Hood fires an arrow at bad guy that WOOHSHED up from centre back, sounding like a jet engine/leaf-blower!

The LFE.1 I’m not so sure about the moment it seems like Gladiator (2000) LFE.1 syndrome as it really lacked LFE.1 in that film mix. Most of the low end is covered by the LCRS on the sub bass extension subs.

I’d have to run the film though spectrumlab later on with an LCRS/LFE.1 comparison to see which channel as the most strength but it does seem a lot like the Gladiator (2000) Dolby mix. Maybe Ridley Scott wants less LFE.1 and (f&cking lots of Irene.1) in Black Hawk Down (2001)?

Anyway back on with the next half now!

[JBL 4645]

I was very cranky this afternoon to view this film, running around shopping is exhausting.

I’ll give Robin Hood 7 out of 10.

Colour balance looked natural thou some scenes where purposely muted to give the impression the weather has some dark overcast clouds, I just don’t see that even in real life there is always a good level of light, still it was nicely photographed.

It seemed like Gladiator at times with slow-motion and some over-cranking of the camera in the battle scenes. I guess that’s the style of filmmaking today.

The beach battle towards the end with the French trying to sneak onto British sores got the point with thousand arrows bearing down on them that had me fletching as they fan out over the LCR then around all the surrounds with careful balanced individualism in the film mix.

I was looking at the indicator on Behringer FBQ2496 for signs of high LFE.1 but it was mostly sub bass extension registering.

German composer Marc Streitenfeld sounded okay I think it’s the first time I heard his style of music composing.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834199/ although he is, credited on several other films that I’ve seen as (music editor).

Listening to the bluray menu (over and over) with theme playing which has been bugging me. It sounds like Black Hawk Down or other?

Ridley Scott is still a remarkable director/filmmaker :bouncy: it’s too bad the film got a raw deal at the box-office.

Possible Academy Award, nomination for best sound or sound effects editing?

I could give this another viewing in 1080i on the projector at some later time.

So that’s it I’d give it 7out of 10.


The extras disc which is only DVD

Making of pre-production though production and post production was insightful

Marketing
Trailers

Deleted scenes that never made it into the film

[JBL 4645]

The tree ramming the castle at on chapter 3 (00:20:07) had grater slam over the LCR sub bass extension. I only took a waterfall of the centre channel and LFE.1 which would be overwhelmed by the centre or LCR combined as LFE.1 has narrow range of extra slam depth that shouldn’t be played higher than then LCR as that is how it was mixed or then again it could be raised providing there isn’t a level that would sneak in and go way, way above the subs capability which would result in damage.

I don’t care for anything below 20Hz as it would not heard only felt. All films are mixed differently at the end of the day at least it didn’t have silly LFE.1 like in Transformers (2007) that was just too damn loud at times, still great listening fun.

I'm not going to waterfall the entire film its obvious its got a mix down to 20Hz which is good enough.

[JBL 4645]

Box set includes theatrical releases of original 1982 and 2010 version. Its unconfirmed if the original will be remixed or retain its original theatrical mix 6channel. There’s no doubt Tron Legacy will be released in dts 7.1 the film exhibited in Dolby Digital 7.1.

Release date is roamed for April in time for Easter.

http://www.play.com/Search.html?searchstring=tron+legacy+&searchtype=BLU&searchsource=0

I’m not interested in the 3D version for splitting after effect headaches as the blue filter does my left eye in! The red filter is not so bad on the right eye. I noticed looking in box yesterday the blue has different colour tint over the older Red and Blue maybe the blue filter is not as bad?

I know the older blue was fairly dark and gave my left eye or any eye looking though for no more than a few seconds a mild headache and eyestrain.

[JBL 4645]

I’m thinking of doing a day if, not a few days listening to some Ridley Scott films on DVD/bluary to see which one sounds the best for...

Best front stage three-screen
Best front to back stage imaging
Best LFE.1
Best overall surrounds mono and stereo surrounds

The list of titles I presently have are

Alien (1979) 117mins DVD region1
Blade Runner (1982) 117mins DVD region2
Black Rain (1989) 125mins bluray regionB
Thelma & Louise (1992) 130mins DVD region2
Gladiator (2000) 155mins DVD region2
Black Hawk Down (2001) 144mins DVD region2
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) 144mins DVD region2
Robin Hood (2010) 140mins bluray regionB

[JBL 4645]

Not much to say expect Sooty was watching Psycho 98’ :D (1998) remake of the classic physiological thriller about a motel owner who dresses up as his mother and hangs around in shower rooms hacking up his guests with bread knife, it was mostly (shot for shot) like the original well most of it was shot for shot, a few new extra angles was included.

[JBL 4645]

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs063.snc6/167322_10150130489880149_669675148_8219728_1246777 _n.jpg


Brought FutureWorld (1976) sequel to its predecessor WestWorld (1973) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070909/ where robots are programmed to interact with humans fantasies in RomanWorld MedievalWorld and WestWorld, that goes disastrously wrong when the robots turn on their guests and employees.

FutureWorld (1976) picks up after three two news reports have been welcomed to have visit facility to see for themselves the new improvements that have been made. When reporter Chuck Browning (Peter Fonda) gets a call from an ex-employee that all is not what it seems to be and later turns up dead, Chuck and Tracy Ballard (Blythe Danner) go snooping around the facility and uncover conspiracy that robots duplicates of themselves have been made to replace them as well as, all humans.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074559/

Guest appearance by (Yul Brynner) who turns up for short while, why? I don’t know?

Fred Karlin also scores again.

Well the DVD should turn up tomorrow or sometime late in the week.

I couldn’t find region1 DVD on play.com maybe I should have tried flabay instead.

[JBL 4645]

Picked up a classic 90’s flick a few days ago, Backdraft (1991)

Theatrical sound release Dolby Stereo A type and 70mm 6track Dolby Stereo with stereo surrounds is the same as the first edition DVD. The version here is from the special edition DVD released back in (2006) as had some slighty picture rebalancing its sharp bright and colourfully detailed on bed sheet at 1080i.

There’s plenty of vintage low end to heat up the JBL loudspeakers for over 2hours listening fun, lows impacted on the body with rumbles and vibrations during some of the fire scenes and explosions.

Skywalker sound has used dialogue panning throughout most of the film thou, not as much as Terminator 2 (1991) or Indiana Jones the Last Crusade (1989).

Stereo surrounds haven’t been mucked around with unlike some Dolby stereo films that I have on bluray that have! The sound effects are in stereo while the Hans Zimmer score on the surrounds is in mono and only plays as stereo across the LCR

I’ve had the first edition DVD for several years and I have no intention of selling.


There are plenty of extras

Deleted Scenes
Igniting the Story
Bringing together the team
The Explosive stunts
Creating the villain: The Fire
Real-Life firemen, Real-life Stories

A theatrical trailer and running audio commentary would have been nice

[JBL 4645]

I noticed a picture issue that came after the introduction with Ron Howard the screen goes to tiny image in the top left corner? To resolve the issue just go back to main menu and select 1st scene and press play (or skip the play button at the start up menu and select 1st scene).

[JBL 4645]

LCD video projector at 1080i

[JBL 4645]

Re-listening to the Ridley Scott films is going a bit slow at the moment.

[JBL 4645]

Brought a classic sci-fi TV show a few days SPACE 1999 and Eagle5 should be delivering the bluray sometime early next week.

I guess the beavers’ screen captures will be close to the regionB which has the same extras, extras.
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_reviews53/space_1999_season_one_blu-ray.htm

[JBL 4645]

While copies of the original Tron have mysteriously gone missing, Disney has been hard at work on a new Blu-ray for the film. When Steve spoke with Tron director Steven Lisberger back in October, Lisberger said he had spent six weeks remastering the original Tron for its Blu-ray release. Lisberger says that the remastering mostly involved tweaking the color balance so that it approaches his original intent. The HDRoom now has a first look at the cover art for the upcoming Blu-ray and it looks like it will be a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Also, the title on the front is "Tron: The Original Classic", which just sounds redundant. Also, would that make Tron: Legacy the unoriginal inferior? They've also limited the colors on the cover to black and blue, probably so it falls more in line with the aesthetic of Tron: Legacy. Hit the jump to check out the cover art.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0513974/news


Oh no! :( Tweaking the colour balance! Now all I can see now is blue with white backgrounds with green all around it! SIGH rather than blue and white in some of brighter scenes.

I think I’ll look at the DVD beaver once the films released because the beaver saves me money. If the screen captures look like total bluray crap, I won’t touch it with 100 foot barge pole!

I hope the original Dolby film mix isn’t f$%%^ed up! I don’t give a toss about the dts now nothings going to change. I just hope the surrounds haven’t been turned to total crap with centre phantom front folded onto the centre.

[JBL 4645]

The prices have been released now for the various box sets.
£12.99
£15.99
£17.99
£69.99

I think the MCP is asking far too much for the large box-set edition of £69.99 the MCP can keep it! I’ll buy the cheaper set. £17.99

I’m guessing the box set lights up with a few AA batteries, I wonder if the batteries are included?

Release date April 18th 2011

[JBL 4645]

Engle 5 has landed with late devilry? Usually the post is early mornings but the schedule has changed.

I knew the devilry was for me once I heard the door buzzer. I saw two packages the postman was carrying.

So Space 1999 for today and FutureWorld for tonight thou I doubt I’d get though all 24 of “This Episodes” today.

I’ll moderate the viewing with a few of “This Episode” and then get on with FutureWorld.

[JBL 4645]

The picture is robustly sharp for “This Episode” vintage show wow.

The dtshd master audio 5.1 6channel can be a bit bright on a few scenes in the upper high range, might need a bit of re-eq for “This Episode”. Centre channel seems to be forward most of the time and any sound effects on left/right front might be masked by the fronts left/right. Remember the show wasn’t recoded in 6channel it, was mixed in mono.

The stereo surrounds have occasionally annoying front mix blended onto them, least for “This Episode” “Breakaway”.

The LFE shows the opening titles which does sound cool in 6channel over a small 3” mono speaker with limited frequency response during the early-mid 70’s that much is certain.

The show is presented in 4:3 so it will appear as small screen image on widescreen TV. I used the zoom in on the Phillips BDP5000 to expand the size till it fit Panasonic.

Also the audio does have some vintage “hiss” yes “hiss” its not that upper tone hiss its bit lower but hiss never the less! Maybe x3 Dolby 363 modules will clean up the hiss!

I find some of the sound effects in space a bit laughable, sound in space is inconceivable it does not compute, but it does make the show entertaining.

[JBL 4645]

Chapter 8 going into chapter 9

The moon breaking away goes down fairly low just past 10Hz and into 8Hz “Brown Zone” quadrant :eek::D! Its mostly peaking around the 40Hz 60Hz range. The rumble effects come in when shorts cut to interior of Moon Base Alpha.

[JBL 4645]

Listening to the opening titles and the moon breaking-away from the Earth the low end rumble is okay its not real G-force, but it feels good.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGjAaI0g69I

‘September 13. 1999.’ ‘Meta signals increasing.’ ‘Yes maybe there.’

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6wBZygH2KQ&feature=player_embedded#at=125

After “This Episode” Breakaway where the moon was used as nuclear waste dump for some dodgy stuff that turned into some strange radioactive magnetic stuff that caused brain dead issues and people cracking up?

Listening to “This Episode” opening Black Sun” Space 1999 dtshd master audio 6channel. Previous “This Episode” “Matter of life and death” was planet of anti-matter where the people of moon base Alpha can’t survive.

Music audio track on all other “This Episodes” except for Breakaway.

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXjWgVc15Xk&feature=player_embedded

Listening to “This Episode” opening “Ring Around The Moon” Space 1999 dtshd master audio 6channel. The mix gets more interesting as each “This Episode” goes along.

The lows get better as well the Eagles now have some low end and the music in “This Episode” is groovy. :rockon2:

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otfYBPo0T0I&feature=player_embedded

A rather funky Christopher Lee leads a group that was heading towards Earth when their spaceship crashes on the moon.

The visual effects by Nick Allder, Brian Johnson and co are terrific, way ahead of its time, even the sets are cool.

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nk2-kMZIDM&feature=player_embedded

Commisioner Simmons wanted off moon base Alpha and got his, wish after all he did get them in the situation with all that dodgy nuclear waste dumping on the moon.

Well that’s that for the first disc for tonight, time to go to the FutureWorld now.

[JBL 4645]

I’m not into watching anything SPACE 1999 tonight from “This Episode” thought I’d give my ears a break after last night ear bending JBL Just Bends My Ears Loudly!:D

[Allanvh5150]

Space 1999 had Chrisopher Lee and Peter Cushing as guest stars. These two also appeared in the Star Wars movies and in the classic horror movies way back when. I enjoyed it as a kid.

Allan.

[JBL 4645]

Space 1999 had Chrisopher Lee and Peter Cushing as guest stars. These two also appeared in the Star Wars movies and in the classic horror movies way back when. I enjoyed it as a kid.

Allan.

Al
I didn’t know you were into SPACE 1999.

I might watch another This Episode of disc 2 later in the day.

I’m not sure which “This Episode” Peter Cushing is in? This show happened just a short while before STAR WARS went into hyperspace.

I do like Breakaway I wonder how one goes about creating the enormous G-force of the moon being blasted out of Earth’s orbit in living room without cursing serious repercussions.:D

[JBL 4645]

Watching “This Episode” now


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF6w1Qy47qk&feature=player_embedded

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Glu7zqgIAg&feature=player_embedded


The noise on these bluray is just dreadful all during chapter 8, 9, 10 the surrounds was hissy like with analogue audio tape medium noise!

I need a few Dolby 363 because dtshd master audio is lousy and noisy on this, bluray.:banghead: Well maybe someday I’ll buy some.

http://www.shyfrog.net/otari/dolby2.jpg

[JBL 4645]

Watching “This Episode” now


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxZulShj2Hk&feature=player_embedded

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP1zxX3b1Og&feature=player_embedded

Well that was strange “This Episode”. There are strange forces in the universe that surround Moon Base Alpha.

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZXSZJIkt84&feature=player_embedded

Computer doesn’t seem to be working well in “This Episode” it says it is but its not? There are strange forces in the universe that surround Moon Base Alpha each week.

The rolling drums really spikes up the show at the start moving from the my right side surrounds over to the front wow, got like that Barry Gray’s theme it’s really classy.

SPL db set at 80dbc the lows on the opening theme seem to overloading the SPL metre a bit? I could reduce the sub bass extension on the end titles and on the next “This Episode” and see if that compensates for it or I could ask the computer? :D

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQedzr7RJ1E&feature=player_embedded

We brought a dead planet back to life maybe we should have stayed.

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDerMd28Ic8&feature=player_embedded

I’m surprised after all the explosions in "This Episodes" there’s still anything left of moonbase Alpha.

First they get blasted out of Earth orbit then a strange force takes over one of the personnel that later gets into a nuclear reactor that curses a huge explosion rupturing parts of the moonbase and yet they’re still hanging in there?

They must be running also running out of eagles by now.:D

[JBL 4645]

Alpha Child now “This Episode” looks really strange.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0TMC2XqB3A&feature=player_embedded

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orOuWTTq4f0&feature=player_embedded

Strange aliens take over a babies :beamup: body so that a fleet of alien spaceships can take over Alpha.

[JBL 4645]

Just uploaded this from the SD DVD extras. Vintage TV footage stars Martin Landau and Barbara Bain announce the US premiere of SPACE 1999


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1Spz-fwcNU&feature=player_embedded

[JBL 4645]

UK Lyons Maid avert of Ice Cream Lolly SPACE 1999


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVJ2t3H1pT8&feature=player_embedded

[JBL 4645]

I was right about noticing the tape analogue hiss on the shows as mentioned in the small booklet that accompanies the box-set in fairly good detailed way.

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SMw33v-t7w&feature=player_embedded

The image is fair on the LCD projector at 1080i even the wires on model work, during some shots are noticeable as they are on CRT widescreen tv if you know what to look for!

Watching some of the highlights from Breakaway on the big screen was quiet something over a small 26” colour Bush TV during the early/mid 70’s.

[JBL 4645]

I’ll get on with disc 3 in short jiffy got find out what is in the next This Episode?

Found a site SPACE 1999 first season This Episode guide
http://www.phinnweb.org/space1999/epguide1.html

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHELuAM2gjE&feature=player_embedded

Now watching This Episode The Last Sunset

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWSzzUEWbR4&feature=player_embedded

Seems like the aliens gave moonbase Alpha some trippy magic mushrooms :D

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns4KNZDT5Ck&feature=player_embedded

Now watching This Episode Voyager's Return

Launched in 1985?

Well I guess the show had to use some licence because Voyager 1 was launched in September 5th 1977 the first launch was Voyager 2 August 20th 1977.

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1977-084A

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2

[JBL 4645]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHm1nOKnXyM&feature=player_embedded

Not a bad This Episode the low end on the LFE.1 is mostly centred within 40Hz to 60Hz even thou it extends down to 10Hz at mild level.

The music swirls around on the stereo surrounds nicely on the opening and end titles.

[JBL 4645]

Re-listening to The Towering Inferno the scenic elevator explosion that breaks the elevator away from its track that leaves it hanging by a cable!

I’ve expended the waterfall a bit wider so you can see the narrow LFE.1 against the full spectrum well almost full spectrum 0 to 200Hz you can see clearly. Its not very loud it mealy accompanies the LCR with an extra bit of oomph.

Level on the AVR direct to was set at 0db.

[JBL 4645]

IMAX intro theme has music playing on left / right at louder level with low end same with left surround (only) when the music pans fully to the surround left. The centre carries a higher musical tone if you’re home cinema is good enough to reproduce it over clearly.

The LFE.1 is a combination of the IMAX mix Left Centre Upper-Centre Right and Stereo Surrounds

Note: the frequencies on LRS now if they were summed up combined they equal a stronger level in the LFE.1 on this IMAX Dolby digital mix.

[JBL 4645]

Space Shuttle sonic boom is on the lower part of spectrum pt1 graphs read from bottom to top.

I couldn’t be asked to do a frequency waterfall of the LCRS just download the Spectrumlab to see how good you’re home cinema can and can not do. http://www.qsl.net/dl4yhf/spectra1.html

[JBL 4645]

Closing the shuttles nose landing gear doors note the circled red.

Somewhere to 40Hz to 60Hz it’s a bit lost or cancelled in the mix. Its best to have HUGE full spectrum matching LCR front and same with the surrounds you can’t fit IMAX speakers in the home in the same way, so fuller spectrum LCRS matching all-around with a few subs positioned below the centre channel.

Or smaller all-around bookshelf JBL, that’s not a bad idea maybe a few more control 5 with mounting gooseneck brackets with the two surrounds placed in the rear corners angled to spread the sound out over wide listening area.

Then another one placed above the centre front well I’ve tried that before and it worked out fairly well. It’s a bit tight at the front of my living-room I could position the upper-centre 1 foot above the centre this will only leave 10 1/2” between the top of the speaker and ceiling.

[JBL 4645]

THX Laserdisc dts 6channel

Side1 chapter 13

[JBL 4645]

DVD first edition region 2 Dolby digital 6channel will, have PAL speed-up so the lows will shifted slightly up the scaled by a few Hz.

Chapter 13

[JBL 4645]

Bluray regionB thou it doesn’t state if it’s A as well. dtsHD master audio the sound will be about the same as the THX laserdisc (no PAL speed-up).

Chapter 4 on Bluray as yes the chapter stops are total pants. THX laserdisc carries 57 chapter stops.

[JBL 4645]

It looks like it might be filtered restricted to 30Hz I’ll have to look at the opening and final end explosions 30Hz is still low enough.

[JBL 4645]

Brought a few bargains this morning Dances With Wolves (1990) Daylight (1996) and one new title release Inception (2010).

I’ve had Daylight dts THX laserdisc for some while as well as region2 DVD

The region2 DVD Dances With Wolves 173min bluray 181min hmm, it should be 178min difference as its usual 5min time difference, I’ll have to check the running time on the region2 it might be the wrong time printed on the back cover.

I’ll run Inception with centre sidewall to centre back surround and overhead surrounds, seems like its going to rock the JBL for 148min.

[JBL 4645]

Odd that the region2 DVD has the same running time well the same running speed as the bluray as the DVD should be speeded up it appears to be running at the same pace when DVD and bluray are running to together.

The DVD clocks in at 3hours 52 seconds so wrong running time printed on the cover.

bluray clocks in at 3hours 49 seconds

The original Orion logo has been replaced with the Warner Bros intro which is a shorter running time over the Orion intro.

I synced the two with DVD in the Sony BDP-S550 and bluray in the Phillips BDP5000

I also noticed the Dolby digital on the DVD is louder in level while dts was at lower level or same level as the Dolby TrueHD

Various beaver shots from DVD to laserdisc and bluray
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare2/danceswithwolves.htm

I think the 8th screen capture shown is the one used on the Warner bluray even thou its not stated on the site its my guess.

The first screen capture looks like version used on region2 DVD.


The film holds up very well for 21 years, WOW that far back now. I agree with Kevin Costner’s audio commentary on the DVD the film goes too deep in few scenes the shooting of his hoarse, Cisco and Two-soaks pushes emotional feelings over the edge, was a bit unnecessary.:(

Fair use of dialogue panning thou most of it is centred with clear intelligibility.

bluray chapter 11, LCR and LFE.1 thunder together as the Sioux approach the fort

Surrounds appear to be faint when listening to the LCR which a louder. The surrounds come alive when called for with effects kick in with herds of Buffalo panning onto the surrounds as they run overhead in chapter 21.

Only gripe is the subtitle text is not the placed on the image as seen in cinema. Text is placed within black boarder and part of the image.

John Barry's score sweeps elegantly over the wide plains of last frontier with grace that will soon, to faded into history books.

I’ll have to take a few frequency waterfalls later on to see how much of the low end various on DVD Dolby / dts bluray Dolby TrueHD

[JBL 4645]

The mix levels on Inspection (2010) is real pain in the ass to listen to at straightforward level.

After re-listening there are many scenes practically over LCR as well stereo surrounds and LFE.1 that needs more than the usual calibrating balancing act to make this, sing the “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” fluently across the LCR or impartially the Hans Zimmer score that drowns out the emotional scene between (Cillian Murphy) Robert Fischer and (Pete Postlethwaite) Maurice Fischer.

The centre carries effects Foley and soft dialogue passages that are mostly ruined downed out by Hans Zimmer!

The blame is on the mixes who won’t win for best sound and if sound effects editing is handed out, well that’s taking the piss. This is the worst Dolby film mix from Christopher Nolan, I’ve listened to far better Dolby film mixes over the years that won for best sound and sound effects editing.

It seems the mix levels was rushed in post production its mostly Hans Zimmer music NOISE!

Anyway you try and listen to chapter 13, and see if you can hear every tiny little detail over the now and rising competition of left/right front.

To resolve the issue as best as possible I’ve had to set the levels for left/right with extreme audio limiting to suppress the NOISE!

The music could have been mixed at low frequency db level and, oh, yes there was recycled sound effect used in another film during one of the shootout scenes. I get really feed up listening to sound effects used in previous films (over and over).


The audio limiting that I used managed to reduce some of the noise levels of left/right (but not far or good enough for my golden ear listening). I like to hear the film mix, not listening to some fuc%&ing drunk pissed mixes on the job who CAN’T EVEN F%()KING LISTEN THEMSLEVES NEED TO SHOW-OFF!

TURN THE MIX LEVLES DOWN! :banghead:

I thought mixes like Alien and Heat was tough to listen to but Inspection takes the piss!! So don’t let you’re ears be fooled by deception thinking its dogs bollocks mix on DVD/bluray it needs an audio limiter leash around it to tame the mix so you, can sit back relax and listen rather than struggling to catch a few rare soft moments of dialogue.


Furthermore its not a creative mix dialogue as and when it can make itself clear all the way though 100% is mostly centred. Its dull and boring like one of those cheap rubbish sit-com TV shows.

If I was mixing I’d have dialogue panning moving around and lot more creative sound effects use with the stereo surrounds because most of the time it was all coming from the front.

Most of weaponry sound effects were centred rather than going with wild wide crazy panning to where the weapons and characters were placed on-screen.

[JBL 4645]

Well I’ve spent the last few hours trying to get the LCR matching fronts tamed with Behringer DCX2496 what a pain in the ass!

They could at least provide some kinder of special guidance with Inspection. Normal sound calibration won’t solve much with stand alone AVR unless something extra is added onto the sound system otherwise the left and right gets so far out of hand its DROWNING OUT THE CENTRE!

When I run pink noise over LCR now the left and are the same the centre has different tone, ideally the LCR should sound the same tonally in frequency response over LF HF but SIGH in the case of Inception I’ve had to make some special arrangements so I can hear just about all that is on the Dolby 6channel mix, I mean dtsHD master audio because dts has taken over on bluray SIGH.

What is the point of audio description in Dolby 5.1 just a waste of 6channels with some spunker woman narrating over the centre channel! :banghead::barf::banghead: SIGH They could have least kept a DOLBY TrueHD 6channel with audio description as Dolby 1.0.


I can understand handicap people who are blind but I can’t see a blind person buying a bluray player much less foundling around with the remote on DVD player.

Then there’s deaf people well there’s subtitles.

But what, really pisses me right off is dtsHD master audio monopolizing bluray and there’s plenty of space for Dolby TrueHD but waste Dolby digital 5.1 for audio description is taking the piss! :banghead:

Instead of film crew and director audio commentary we get this, spunker woman for 148mins SIGH :banghead:

[JBL 4645]

Are you going to do?
Do what Ron?
Have sex with a robot!
Not this trip, Ron.

This has been movie of the past few months now, its had regular viewing mostly in the bedroom at night, while Sooty catnaps beside me.

It takes of a few years later after the disaster at Delos Corporation where robots are scientifically programmed for tourist’s attraction.

Chuck Brown is a news reporter (Peter Fonda) gets a phone call from an ex-Delos employee who turns up dead when Chuck goes to meet him.

Chuck and Tracy Ballard (Blythe Danner) have been invited to Delos to look the place over to write-up a fair report on the new Delos as the facility has been doing poorly due to the tragic memory of Westworld.

Yul Brynner returns in slightly campy moment as “the gunslinger” why well watch for yourselves and you’ll see why.

The framing is W/S 1.85:1 over the original outing in scope 2.35:1. The colours look bold enough contrast brightness looks fair for vintage film made in (1976) a little soft grainy I’m pleased with the transfer.


The visual effects look pretty good for a low budget film. The Johnson space centre was used for one sequence where a rocket is housed in huge vacuum chamber is a composite mate painting and goes unnoticeable, the chess game looked good thou some dissolves didn’t quite line up 1 to 1.

There is computer visual effect used in the film that maps the face and hands in very early stage of pre-CGI?

The control centre looks like the actual mission command centre used for all the Apollo missions only re-dressed or re-creation of the actual set?

The mono mix is good for its time it has fair bass response if you know how to get it out of the home cinema, dialogue mix is clear effects have mild rumble but doesn’t get much below 30Hz. Fred Karlin scores again its not as dramatic as the stereo mix on Westworld when played in Dolby pro-logic it opens up around the room, where Futureworld its all centred and seems a bit dull at times, I guess I seem so used to listening to dialogue and effects coming from the centre channel even with Dolby digital soundtracks.

Some STAR TREK sound effects appear in the film so you have to listen out for them!

I’ve seen a youtube video of the whole film that looks like cut version or theatrical version as the region2 has an extended opening and closing.

It’s a bit darker than first as, Delos have devious plans in store for their guests.

Arthur Hill looks great in it as he did in The Andromeda Strain (1971) another sci-fi film of different kind well worth viewing.

Nice anechoic chamber used in the film, it looks like its used for testing heavy machinery rather than loudspeakers.

I’m re-watching / listening to film again in the JBL room tonight and as soon as it finishes I’m retiring to the bedroom with Sooty and another viewing its such a cool film.

[JBL 4645]

Got GLORY on bluray this morning though the post (Oscar winner for best achievement in sound 1989).

Since I never saw this in 35mm Dolby SR at the cinema nor 70mm six-track Dolby Stereo which would have been a plus bonus, I have no sure way of telling how close this is to the 70mm Dolby release print?

The DVD which has been out for years now and having first listened to it in Dolby stereo pro-logic on VHS on its first week rental I have noticed some differences.

During the opening narration of the film the mother reads Shaw’s letters and I’m almost certain I heard slight faint chuckle in the voice while the narration plays a bit higher over sound of the Foley. I think the bass even thou compressed for VHS had a bit of slam to it. I’d have to locate and original VHS rental but I guess the condition would be somewhat worn which might lead to Hi-Fi stereo dropping out from Hi-Fi to linear mono on Hi-Fi VCR.

The DVD edition has odd Dolby mix the surrounds have few parts with stereo surround during the opening assault on (Antietam Creek) cannon fire pans from side to side on the surrounds in few shots.

During the end after the bloody assault on (Fort Wagner) the sound of seagulls flutter around from side to side over the LCR with few pans from left to right on the surrounds a shot few squeak chirps then fade out against the James Horner score that only plays in mono on the surrounds while it plays in stereo over LCR.

Having never worked with 70mm when I was projectionist for UCI the cinema only had Victoria V 35mm installed with Dolby CP65 A/SR and EV loudspeakers. I was still interested in the 70mm format as that was the only true discrete sounding format of the time and still the best sound on in my opinion.

Now most 70mm Dolby stereo prints ether came as
Format 41 five-screen / mono surround
Format 42 three-screen / mono surround / sub bass “baby boom”
Format 43 three-screen / stereo surround / sub bass “baby boom”

I’ve looked at the list of 70mm titles on in-70mm site and it doesn’t state the film was released nor does it state it in the Dolby “Heard Any Good Movies Lately”.

It’s a bit confusing to determine which out of the three formats I doubt Format41 since that had fallen back over the years and it was ether down to 42 and 43 and very few 70mm prints ever was released with stereo surround “split-surrounds” since 1978 and the day 70mm retired.

I still have further listening and testing to do on GLORY to see how the LFE.1 differs on spectrum lab against GLORY on DVD sure there will be PAL speed-up so lows will be few tiny Hz notches up while regionB at 122min will have lower low lows (that doesn’t mean the bluray is better) region1 DVD sound better than region2 as they don’t have this silly PAL speed-up.

Well I’m pleased it did have fake Dolby pro-logic II music mode re-mix unlike 2010: the year we make contract (1984) and Blue Thunder (1983) that was total Dolby TrueHD listening disgrace!

The bluray comes as Dolby TrueHD and rightful so because dtshd-master audio, I just can't tolerate on Dolby produced sound mixes!

[JBL 4645]

I given Glory a step by step listening over the LCRS and like I mentioned above there is some slightly changes mostly on the surrounds very little I can detect over LCR and LFE.1 as of yet.

Well maybe a few frequency waterfalls from (chapter 13, 01:37:21) as the 54th mach out to battle field to cheers, from other regiments. The James Horner score plays it elegantly and has some mild LFE.1 before fading in the LFE.1 and the canon fire takes over.

I’ve looked at the previous version I’ve owned for years region2 with its PAL-speed-up it just doesn’t sound right, its okay just speeded up a little.

Almost reaching down to 20Hz I haven’t looked at the LCR same scene thou I think the cannon fire will be a stronger in level with lesser lower end.

I’ll play a few scenes later tonight to see how it looks in 1080i on LCD projector I’m sure its going to be an eyeful!


The Boys Choir of Harlem on (chapter 13) sounds uprising and spiritual has col. Shaw walks though crowned regiment of cheers to face his troops. The choir voices flow back and fourth, it’s haunting score knowing, this regiment is marching into uncertain death, but the score works magnificently as it swirls around the living room, and brilliantly scored mixed by Shawn Murphy who has fine ear for detail.

Fixing bayonets has individualism discreteness over the LCR and small portions in the surrounds.
-Charge!
-Charge!

Bayonets!

As the regiment yell altogether, I can hear the Foley footsteps (all at once) pounding into sand.

The score starts to dramatically beat up with drum strings and horns
-At the quickstep
-At the quickstep
as Shaw gives the commend the word is heard to left

Forward!
March!

It sounds clear when Shaw, pulls his, Saber out, against the music on left, right and surrounds as well as in the centre.

The whole scene still blows me away.

Double-quick time!
March!

Bells chime around along with roaring beat of drums stings clashing as each few feet they get nearer and nearer to Fort Wagner.

Steady, boys!

Wow brilliant film, just brilliant.:bouncy:

Soundelux did an outstand work on this film, that rightful deserved the Oscar sure there was other great Dolby mixes that year, Black Rain, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Born on the Fourth of July and The Abyss.

[JBL 4645]

The Andromeda Starin with Behringer DCX2496

I have risked drowning in that foul bath! I have been par-boiled, irradiated and xenon-flashed! and now you suggest I...
Dr. Ruth Leavitt

I find The Andromeda Starin a bit toppy after performing 1/3 EQ two nights ago so it handles well with a frequency as far down to near 40Hz. It’s mostly dialogue orientated film.

Dialogue range is usually low as 100Hz for males and around 200Hz for females. the Effects don’t go down lower or high enough without the mid to high range being so toppy bright!

After a bit of re-listening and I prefer to place a HP filter in across the centre mono mix on the Behringer DCX2496 and depending on type of loudspeaker and room and so on, I set a HP 12db at 260Hz -10.0db and seems to help for the meantime in fattening up the low end but not a great deal as its not a low end type of mix.

It will still need a bit of extra volume level turned up on the master fader on the AVR.

Near the end of the film a seal breaks sending off the alarms and triggering the auto self-destruct nuclear device. Hall, runs though a shaft leading to level where he can deactivate the device. Lasers fire at him and the music score or some part of type of high buzzing sound plays continuously with occasional laser fire shots (I didn’t know lasers have a sound or maybe they do)?

I’m watching it for second time tonight. I’ve watched it some 20 times so this might make it 22 times. It’s such a cool film only wished a 70mm six-track version was available over the mono version.

Middle range is easy to hear some higher highs are hard to hear just like lower lows are hard to hear under normal conditions. I don’t want to cut the middle range and level it muffled with a brittle top end. Some sounds are faint and some are just way to bright least on my JBL control 5.

I didn’t bother with THX re-eq as that only trims the top end around 2KHz and slopping downwards to 20KHz and its mostly midrange bright.

I used the HP filter on the ABC input not on channels (3 LF and 4 HF) that’s used for the centre channel.

[JBL 4645]

I just found out that HEAT on bluray which is directors’ edition or ct down by -2mins from its original classic theatrical release.

The Michael Mann made are shifty and sly and the guy has total ruined the bluray expiance tenfold times infinity, time infinity ruined beyond disbelief wrecked and totally un-repairable! SIGH

I’ve tossed HEAT bluray away its now on the boycotted list!

I’m watching the region2 DVD at the moment and I’m not a fan of PAL UK I hate PAL 4% speed-up it makes Hanna sound like his bollocks have been stretched and ticked with feather!

I’ll buy the region1 DVD with all its imperfections of wonderful lossless Dolby vintage digital 6channel because even the Dolby TrueHD or directors cut that was used on DVD first time around has been F%(ked up played around with, you have to know “what to look for and listen for” the changes are subtle!

The colour on HEAT special edition shows up its true EPIC bluray colours of FAIL its been messed around with and looks dreadful!

Tip of the day!
Never sale you’re laserdiscs or first edition DVD the most common thing used for bluray is ether the spiecal edition and its often worse then first edition to make money and to rip off! It’s like their robbing you, in your, own home and that is precisely what these greedy rich bastard snobs are doing! I’d be very cautious!

Right now I can think off 100 lines to take the piss out of Michael Mann’s HEAT on bluray!

What the hell happens to Michael Mann and our 2 minutes
Michael Mann. With the HEAT we got with bluray, you want to play World War II on the streets with Michael Mann?

No I want my 2 minutes on bluray!

I got more motivation to whack Michael Mann then either of you. He’s a f$%king luxury.


Region2 running time 164mins (add 5mins for region1) =169mins
RegionB (I’m sure this is regionFree) running time 170mins well that doesn’t seem true, I guess the person is retarded and doesn’t know, basic mathematics! SIGH
The theatrical running time says 170mins so if -2mins has been taken away it should be 168mins for region1 special edition used for bluray.

[JBL 4645]

I picked up Oscar nominated for best sound effects editing Unstoppable (2010) bluray a high train speed action adventure.

So far Inception sucks for its best Oscar sound/sound effects editing on all levels, why that film was given the Oscar I don’t know? So far SALT kicked its sorry ass as that was very active and well balanced LCRS/LFE.1. So, now to Unstoppable I wonder if this can rollover SALT at high speed?

Before I run it, I need to buy some pink cans cream soda! I get the feeling this ones going to leave me breathless!

[JBL 4645]

Just finished watching Unstoppable based on a true event that happened in Pennsylvania, (May 15th 2001). Looked pretty courageous to bring all that high speed tonnage to full stop!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unstoppable_(2010_film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSX_8888_incident

It’s a well balanced LCR mostly the films action plays over LCR and LFE.1 that carries some extra weight, I trimmed the LFE.1 from 0db to -6db to keep it within the bass/sub bass range over LCRS.

There were some predictable train sound pans as 777 passes along from left front to sidewall left surrounds.

Dialogue centre mix was clear against the noise of the train that would be really load but who wants it loud in the home! I sure don’t.

Re-recoding mixers
Kevin O’ Connell
Beau Borders

Kevin does a good mixes I’ve noticed his screen credit since Top Gun (1986) 19 times Oscar nominated and never won an Oscar yet!

The Dolby mix thou its give dtshd master audio, is okay, it could have had lot more going besides central dialogue, at least it sounded better than Inception, I’d never get back the 148mins from that!

I guess SALT is still the best sounding title I have from 2010. Tron Legacy next month on April 18th I wonder if that has wild wide dialogue panning? I’d give Unstoppable the thumbs up!


The making of is an insightful view to what demands was needed to capture the “real for real” with very little GCI as most audiences are now getting a little tired of CGI fake planes cars and even trains.

To put actors on harness so they can run along the top a moving train must be fun. I guess that owes then a stunt man credit then?

I guess the film can be called Top Gun on Rail Tracks! :D

[JBL 4645]

Only a slight difference of 8db I noticed between dts and Dolby. Dolby was louder while dtshd master audio was softer on the derailing and explosion. I think the film should have been Dolby TrueHD true to what it was recorded in which is mostly Dolby.

waterfall taken at chapter 13, 00:45:02

Running time
Bluray 1:38:30
DVD 1:34:29 (PAL 4% speed-up)

[JBL 4645]

Re-listening to The X-Files fight the future (1998) its wired that a cricket should be chirping sound some 6 feet up in the air! This would be chapter 11 when Mulder and Scully find huge white domes in the middle of the desert with corn growing. The camera is looking downwards as they approach the domes and cricket sounds on right surround but the positioning of the sound doesn’t make sense as it should be close to the ground in fact at ground level.

The bees swarming around sounds convincing enough to male me cringe!

A 18 channel only for the surrounds would work well at positioning the sounds for a more convincing sound.

3x channel left surround upper corner middle lower corner
3x channel right surround upper corner middle lower corner
6x channel rear surround upper corner middle lower corner
x3 channel floor left centre right
3x channel ceiling left centre right

Unless someone’s got, a better idea on how to place sound of the cricket on the floor without moving the entire surround assembly.

You can’t filter it off and channel it to the floor otherwise you’re back at square one if helicopter passes overhead. The higher end of its rotator blades will draw attention up and down as bass/mid will be above and highs sounding around on the floor.

Still it’s a cool mix by Andy Nelson and Anna Behlmer mixed in Dolby Digital 6channel.

Then again the cricket would have to be positioned within small part narrow high frequency range. I wonder if what would happen if its extracted from part of the range and filtered crossover sent to floor surrounds high frequency, I wonder?

Okay I’ve positioned the microphone within a few inches away from one of the right surround sidewall channels to see roughly where the frequency is. Well according to the Technieqs SH-8055 it registered at 4KHz well that seems simple enough.

I’m getting some ideas, ideas that I’ll keep under my hat for a while until I can do further experimentation. No the cricket that is. :D

I also like the dialogue panning as the helicopters swoop down that sends Mulder and Scully ruining off and getting separated in corn crops. Centre dialogue is used when we see Mulder or Scully, off-screen the voices are panned left and right with slight half centre.

There were bees, corn crops.

[JBL 4645]

Something got me thinking when Mulder was taking a piss against an Impendence Day poster on wall in alley way. Rather odd place to put poster in an alley way?

The sound didn’t make sense I mean taking a piss that is. The sound of pissing should sound when it falls to the ground. So I tried a little experiment by placing the HF centre on the floor and you, know it works! It sound like Mulder was really taking a piss on my living room floor as looked down to where the sound was coming from.

The dialogue didn’t draw my attention up or down rather as whole depending on how close I am to front where the ear will say, the highs are coming from the floor and mid/bass from above.

Listening to it in the conventional way sounds like, Mulder is aiming high and pissing at high arc against the wall! :D

I didn’t analyzer Mulder’s pissing on the RTA to see where his pissing was? :D

[JBL 4645]

I’ve had a good catnap late this afternoon to think what, (ways ideas) to divide specific sounds centred on or around certain frequencies. I like to keep this under my hat for while longer until I can suss it out.

Overlook their would be an issue…what if a bird is tweeting on or around say 4KHz though chances are it might be above 4KHz it wouldn’t make sense for bird tweeting on floor in jungle setting like Predator, unless the camera angle happens to be flying over the trees! Lots of angles to look at and what if the camera is and the bird is tweeting in midair!

It would be a lot easier if a real true discrete surround format comes around as 5.1 even 7.1 is obsolete in my books, it is so limited to what it can and can not do.


5.1 or lets just call it 6channel hasn’t really evolved that much since the first 70mm 6track mag title “Oklahoma!” (1955) 56 years and in that time the surrounds have gone from monaural to stereo surrounds for Superman the Movie (1978) from STAR WARS episode 1 the phantom menace (1999) with Dolby-EX centre back surround, to overheard matrix surround We Were Soldiers (2002) to Toy Story 3 with Dolby 7.1, and all this by mostly using the common horizontal plane side and rear walls. Hardly pushing the surround channel sound demission forwards.

Dolby made mistake I mean copying Sony’s SDDS format which was 6/8 channels. Think about it, its the same amount of channels only using the extra 2 channels on the rear for stereo effects. They should have simply came out with 10 channels

Left
Centre
Right
Left surround sidewall
Right surround sidewall
Left rear surround back wall
Right rear surround back wall
Overhead ceiling surround
Below floor surround
LFE.1

And use it for new films only and if used in re-mixes please provide the original mix as well!

[JBL 4645]

Re-listening to three films a few days ago that are based around the Secret Service that’s job is to protect the democracy of the United States president.

IN THE LINE OF FIRE (1993) is probably considered a Dolby classic now, most of the dialogue is kept centred with a few none-principle chactutre voices panned half right then panning to centre front, near towards the end.

Sound effect aren’t heavy weighted there’s bass for plenty of the action scenes. Mostly the film is driven by central dialogue that focuses on two characters Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) and master of many disguises (John Malkovich) who plans to assassinate the president.

LFE.1 I can’t recall if it was active as I had the sub bass extension ON for LCRS and its hard to tell as I was looking at the screen and listening for directional sounds. I’m sure it wasn’t active on the mix.

Stereo surrounds were moderate but will timber balanced and in keeping with front atmosphere air-condition like sound in the Dolby mix.

THE SENTINEL (2006) is different kind of plot to assassinate the president? Some one in the secret service is a mole who has committed high treason. Could it be, Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) could he, have sold himself to another side?

Kiefer Sutherland and Eva Longoria also star, chasing hot on the heels of Garrison to uncover whether he’s friend or foe?

The action effects are a bit stronger on this Dolby mix over “IN THE LINE OF FIRE”. The sound of the radio com, chatter over the ear-pieces in the against ears, goes from soft to loud and often pans around the surrounds and across LCR, to create confusion along with individually placed voices positioned over left centre and right while other sounds pan over the LCR.

Voice panning is used throughout the film with voices over the radio com system

LFE.1 is used sparingly it did draw to much attention to itself as the bass in the LCR is highly active, when the LFE.1 comes in, it can exceed the bass on the LCR by a several db higher.

VANTAGE POINT (2008) There is a mole in the agency. Starring (Dennis Quaid) and (William Hurt) the journey starts from the opening of the president being shot (then winds back 20mins to take you on different vantage points)

The LCR is has good plentiful level of bass, LFE.1 goes a bit higher with some of the gunshots and explosions.

During the final chase down towards the end the bass in the score pulses away, in several scenes.

Each film has different level of mixing each one was mixed at different time thou THE SENTINEL (2006) and VANTAGE POINT (2008) only have a 2 years between them and IN THE LINE OF FIRE that was mixed in (1993)

Dialogue clarity on each film might sound a bit sibilant at times between the 2 KHz and 8 KHz range.

During a scene in Vantage Point (2008) Denis Quaid enters GNN news broadcasting mobile trailer. The dialogue on the voice Secret Service peaks at 8KHz on the Technics SH-8055 thou it might lower in the 5, 6, 7 KHz range?

I tried to mimic Quaid’s voice saying Secret Service at different levels. The microphone was picking my voice up with peak 4KHz so maybe Dennis has high pitch voice or some sweet-ing was used on his dialogue for audiences that have hearing issues?

[JBL 4645]

I just order HEAT region1 DVD a few days ago and its been shipped out should be here next week. Also ordered today Jaws 3 and Jaws the revenge (both region 1DVD) to complement Jaws and Jaws 2 on region2 DVD. Jaws Bites Low on my JBL system!:p

[JBL 4645]

HEAT (1995) region1 DVD has arrived, pictured on the left side, region free bluray centre with region2 DVD pictured on the right side.

The shootout JBL listening test will start in short while I know the region1 DVD is going to sound Dolby true to what I was listening too in the cinema. The regionFree bluray, well that won’t be played again. If I paid around £15.00 I want the original not some trimmed down by 2 minutes version!

Region 2 DVD
Running time 164mins

Region1 DVD
Running time 172mins (huh, often its 5mins longer over 164min due to the PAL 4% speed-up) Where the extra 3mins comes in? I owned the ntsc laserdisc when it came out around mid 1996. The laserdisc states 171min there might be slightly frame rate differences.

RegionFree bluray
Running time 170mins

[JBL 4645]

Been watching some classic STAR TREK “Journey to Babel”

You're a spy, surgically altered to pass as an Andorian.
Captain. James T. Kirk

The region2 DVD came part of fortnightly collector’s edition with colour magazine on the shows history.

The opening always sounds cool as the U.S.S. Enterprise whooshes along the sidewall and back half surrounds that seems like its passing along each of JBL control 1, sides it’s only an illusion a cool sound illusion.

[JBL 4645]

I’ve been re-listening to The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) this afternoon at fairly loud level.

The foggy dialogue that’s spread across the LCR if you know what to listen for can ether be distracting if the LCR is mismatched or lousily EQ where some of sibilant voices tend to distract the listen away from the centre, and draw attention to one of the left/right fronts. That doesn’t happen here!

Stereo surrounds are springing used for occasional music or sound effects only while LCR, will playing music and sound effects.

LFE.1 isn’t used as much there is plenty of low end on the LCRS but has to be well balanced as to not overwhelm the LFE.1 when it cuts in during the Stromberg tanker swallowing the up U.S.S. Wayne submarine the low rumble comes from LCRS and LFE.1 and must play as whole that reinforces the scene.

Without the Behringer DCX2496 I’d have limited use to what I can do with LCR fronts.

Super-tanker barge door explosion by torpedo jolted the living room floor that felt it flexed by several millimetres under my feet, followed by, another enormous rumbling explosion on LFE.1 and parts of LCR.

The opening ski chase is a Bond classic with no way out of the situation Bond goes straight off the cliff unaware to the audience that charred and clapped as the rucksack opens up into a Union Jack parachute. Ski jump stunt was performed by Rick Sylvester.

Score by Marvin Hamlisch and performed by Carly Simon makes for a memorable James Bond title, “No body does it better”.

The set designs get better and better with each Bond film past and present.

The submarine set on the oil taker was constructed at the Bond 007 Pinewood Studios for the Liparus supertanker. Sadly the “007 set” caught fire in March 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/007_Stage

Devilish one-liners as the henchman goes flying off cliff along with his motorbike after, surviving a near expulsion, which blows up truck carrying beds, sends feathers everywhere that stick to him.

All those feathers and he still can't fly!:rotfl:
James Bond


The Dolby digital 6channel mix is a fair improvement over the original monaural mix thou a mono mix. It would have been nice to have included the mono soundtrack for vintage listeners like myself that heard this in the cinema in 1977 and recently at the Empire Leicester Square on Sunday April 20th 2008. The digital presentation at the Empire went haywire 60mins into the film with ping-pong LCR switching on and off really fast then centre channel going dead right, up to the end. I guess the digital server wasn’t all that perfect as its been made out to be or it was lousy cheap copy from Park Circus. EE and DNR I’d come to expect from home video not professional cinema exhibition!

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn73/EmpireLeicesterSquare3417/EmpireLeicestersquareSunday20200-1.jpg

[JBL 4645]

I’ve been running Moonraker (1979) 3 times today as its one of the best and first Bond films to be recoded and released in Dolby Stereo.

I did a re-Eq early on around this morning and thought I’d get a few classic Bond films since its summertime now and these films where great in their day at the summer box-office drawing in Bond crowds.

The villain in the film Drax wants perfect human specimens to come back to Earth after he’s finished poisoning the whole planet. Yeah sounds like your typical fruit case?

The mix can be a little mid bright at times thou not ear bending enough on the Shirley Bassey vocals set against the late John Barry’s score that musical plays away with discreteness over LCR the centre carries a bass rhythm beat that is clearly heard yet not overpowering against Bassey’s centre phantom vocals on left and right with slight tiny echo in the surrounds.

The film has devilish Moore moments like when a hit-man tries to bump off Bond on the river in funeral boat. Aims for Bond with assoarted set of knifes, throws it yet misses him, Bond glances at the knife and grabs it, and lobs it back sending the hit to rest in peace in coffin. LOL

The river chase though Venice is a classic as Bond’s boat turns into a Hover Craft and the bad guys get pissed off because they couldn’t bump off Bond so easily.

The later up boat river chase has wow John Barry score playing along with the brilliant sound effects work produced at Pinewood recording studios. Bullets fly overhead that make me flitch slightly over to one side. Explosions rumble nicely not overpowering like in newer Bond films were the level is FAR TOO HIGH! The roar of the waterfall as Jaws and the rest of his hit men go off the edge LOL of it, you’d think that would be the last of Jaws? The guy seems indestructible after surviving going off a cliff in Ford and landing in goat herder home in The Spy Who Loved Me and surviving a cable car crash in Moonraker. LOL

Some effects like breaking glass in museum tend to end too soon once the glasses has shattered on the floor as Chang tries to bump off Bond, only to get tossed out a high rise clock tower, and warring a piano to “Play it again Sam”. LOL

Roger Moore made me laugh with his Bond character slick one-liners that were cleverly written for the films.

Other effects like centrifuge trainer got up to mildly high SPL db 90db I don’t know what G-force feels like, yes I do! I forget I’ve been on few rollercoaster rides in the US at Disney world and in the UK at Alton Towers and that scared the wits out of me.

Chapter 22 has a harmonistic John Barry score with soft instruments and choir voices this gives the ear enough time to relax after the boat chase.

Foley effects work great as Bond goes to punch Jaws after tackling with one Drax’s pet pythons that had love crush on Bond. Jaws stomach must be made of solid iron?

The shuttle launches are a little inaccurate in technical details as this was made 3 years before Colombia was launched in April 1981. The jettison of the SRB was too late as that would be a bit lower the fuel is only enough for couple of minutes flight time. The EXT would last a bit longer powering the three main engines and the orbiter into orbit.

The visual effects work is still great for its time; it looks nicely polished with Earth view. One other thing, Drax must have been planning for this, attack for years because how in the world did he get these shuttles though the jungle without anyone noticing something odd?

Also the constriction of the space station as other satellites would have picked up strange activity for years a station of this site is almost larger than the ISS is today and that along as taken 10 years to build!

Moonraker is still an enjoyable film even if it has flaws in the technical areas.

LFE.1 is only used in few brief moments most of the lowers are covered by LCR with few milder ones from surrounds.

The outer space battle does sound exciting thou takes serious licence of sound in space! Lower end rumbles and high laser shrilly highs as laser drat left and right and right and left over LCR.

Desolated, Mr Bond.
Heartbroken, Mr Drax.
Allow me.
Take a giant step for mankind.
Ahggghhhhhhhh!

Jaws, finely speaks over champagne with his, new love.
Well, here’s to us. LOL

When the space station finally blows up with a bit of LFE.1 it almost sounded deeper than death star explosion STAR WARS on original laserdisc, thou that mix isn’t the true discrete version its only Dolby 4.2.4 matrix. The Shuttle skipping across the atmosphere rumbles nicely as Bond desperately tries to stop the probes from entering the Earth.

I think I saw Moonraker twice at the cinema with my dad and once again with his friend who took me to see it during its summertime release.

Well since posting its been 4 runs today. That’s longer than most cinemas would run a film during the 70’s which was usual three performers starting early afternoon with last performance finishing past 10pm with 25min breaks, ads and trailers lasting for around 20mins then feature film. With DVD I can hit start as soon as the end credits finish so I don’t have to wait 25mins plus 20min or around 45mins.

Watching a film at the cinema during the 70’s and into the early 80’s where you pay once and can stay in the cinema all day long watching the film three times. If you leave the cinema that is if you go outside pass the doors you have to pay to get back in. You can pop out to the foyer to buy soft-drinks or hot dogs.

I think the cost for child was around 80pence for Dolby Stereo! Today it’s near to £8.50.

This is how cinemas make money today by asking you politely to leave. If you want to see such and such action moment or listen to that great sounding moment again, you have to pay another £8.50 or more depending on what cinema chain it is? You’d end up paying more than what a DVD or bluray costs.

Odd how the imdb doesn’t state it was also released in blow-up 70mm Dolby Stereo discrete 6channel
http://www.in70mm.com/library/process/dolby/index.htm

Imdb only states optical Dolby Stereo
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079574/

During the 70’s and into the 80’s there was STAR WARS clones some of which wasn’t as successful Moonraker had kinder STAR WARS appeal with Bond in outer space and the space battle at the end was kinder like STAR WARS. I guess until The Empire Strikes Back audiences have to wait a few years and was only one year later Empire did outstanding box-office takings The year before Moonraker we had Close Encounters of the third kind that did fairly well.

Moonraker
Budget: $34,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $7,108,344 (USA) (1 July 1979) (788 Screens)
Gross: $210,308,099 (Worldwide)

[JBL 4645]

CastAway is sheer brilliant filmmaking by Robert Zemeckis standing (Tom Hanks) Fedex Chuck Nolan on a deserted island after his, plane crashes in middle of nowhere. Chuck is not totally alone he has just companion a football called “Wilson” to help keep his, sanity alive while trying to figuring out how to get off the island?

The cinematographic by Don Burgess is crisp and shape for DVD transfer framed in 1.85:1 W/S

Skywalker Sound (Randy Thom) has yet pulled off another wow first class Dolby digital mix from soft to medium and very loud sounds when the air rushes in on the airplane it’ll take you by surprise! LFE.1 has short burst of low frequency pressure surrounds carry metallic clashing and the plae buckles and creeks all around.

Tom Hanks is classy star, actor of our generation the performance he gives of what it must be like to be alone on island how to survive it though to the next sunrise.

Alan Silversri score is emotional touching will make you smile and cry.

I switched the centre back surrounds along with overhead surround.

The ambient effects are star themselves it surrounds while going on Chucks odyssey from ocean waves coming in and residing back to the ocean the wind blowing all around in the emptiness.

The end credits is cool as it goes into score then fades out with the softness of ocean waves flowing around and score cutting back in again at soft levels.

2hours 18mins is well paced for the story most of which is spent on the island for 70mins.

And I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow, the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide will bring?
Chuck Nolan

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/

[JBL 4645]

I’ve been re-listening to Robocop 2 early this, evening. The levels are evenly balanced re-recording mixers Chris Jenkins Doug Hemphill and Mark Smith blended and balanced a cool Dolby mix from lows to mids though to high sparkly effects that includes some dialogue panning. Academy award winner supervising sound effects editor, Stephen Hunter Flick never fails to impress me. From Robocop Die Hard Twister and Apollo 13 he’s always pricked up my ears!

Scoring mixer Dan Wallin is another name I recognize from film credits music score is also nicely produced. sound mixed at the Todd-AO/Glen Glenn studios in Dolby SR.

The Robocop films are not to be taken seriously its dark comic violence from hilarious news broadcasters to TV ads like the opening scene MagnaVolt anti car theft device that electrifies intruders to a crisp with lethal response.:D

Picture quality by Image entertainment produced a fair laserdisc from picture colour balance to fine PCM sound quality.

Highs almost reach near to 16 KHz but I mostly saw 8 KHz on the Technics SH-8055 in-room response from the fronts. If I had winder RTA 31 band to see the response chances I might see 10 KHz or 12 KHz.

Lows are ample from Foley Robo-footsteps, body punches, explosions and some occasional bullet hits against metal are also felt.

Too bad the film is framed at full screen rather than the usual 1.85:1 W/S

Chapter stops are bit poorly laid out with 19, chapter stops could have been more evenly placed.

Listening between the region2 DVD which I have as triple Robocop DVD pack the difference is -1db less on the ntsc laserdisc between the region2 Dolby stereo 4.2.4 matrix. Frequency response appears to be the same looking at the in-room RTA.

Framing is bit wider but on the DVD it’s matted cropping off small portions of the bottom part of the frame 1.85:1 rather being filmed with spherical lenses.

[JBL 4645]

I’ve had this box-set for a number years now I can’t fault ether film both are violently funny when it comes down to bad guys getting bumped off by Robocop or some rich ass snooty scum back throwing themselves out a high rise building because they just got fired from, OCP.

Robocop is classic the Dolby stereo discrete 6channel mix which won best sound effects editing all recoded and released in Dolby Stereo SR (1987)

Bob Morton What are your prime directives?
RoboCop:
1: Serve the public trust.
2: Protect the innocent.
3: Uphold the law.


Robocop 2 I was re-listening to yesterday on laserdisc then re-checked against the region2 DVD.

Robocop 3 (1993) has a cool only Dolby Stereo 4.2.4 matrix mix with dialogue centre to surround pan.

As the camera angle changes while looking at the new COP boss Johnson’s voice is briefly panned for short few words then cuts back to centre when we see the front camera angle. I think the dialogue centre to surround pan is really cool, its not 100% it would if it was a fully discrete umm, Dolby 4.0 4.1 mix?

(Surround) We could recruit them out of…
(Surround) It would be cheaper than hiring mercenaries…

It can be distracting hearing the dialogue on all the surrounds but with the sidewall surrounds muted and the rear back ones left ON and turned up a few db seems to work better. Thou with loud effects or music that filters into the surrounds due to the matrix it can be quite annoying to listen too. I guess a compressor when a shipment arrives in the UK from China I’ll get some, Behringer audio compressors, and see what I do from there.

[JBL 4645]

Robocop sounds better of the LFE.1 is only used for LFE.1 leaving the bass on matching fronts LCR to produce lows and LFE.1 should at most times only come in at +-2db not some 10 to 20db over the LCR.

You add in another sub the level goes up and so does certain frequencies and what happens is it sears masks the lows in the LCR or maybe the surrounds on rare occasions and what you have is sound system that isn’t replicating what is on the mix.

The lows get warmer and with some EQ you can, smoothen the sub down lower in range and so on, but the levels have to play within a db above any one of the LCR fronts otherwise its just noise.

A few waterfalls.

I like this, article in cinema technology April 1988. pictured at the far bottom "Dolby SR prints".

I’ve been to the CIC/UCI Wycombe 6, in early January 1990 for Arachnophobia in Dolby Stereo SR and the JBL THX sound system I kidd you not, was sonic from the start of the THX trailer “Broadway” pressing on my body within just a few seconds of it starting. The film itself was pressing deep on my body not that crappy boom boom you hear in some crappy car Hi-Fi of 20KW LOL what they need 20KW to get sub bass LMAO High Wycombe would be pushing far less yet the JBL was so sorted.

I can imagine what Robocop sounded like, I mean felt like there.:bouncy:

[JBL 4645]

Re-listening to few films late this morning night-time Alien (1979) first edition region1 and seems like the MDX4600 is going to be a rather interesting listening day. I susses out what I can use the MDX4600 for and seeing how it acts with centre channel, well now’s the time, to make up some leads and get the left and right front connected.

Listening to effects with dialogue moment on Alien while Parker and Ripley discuss how to kill the Alien some soft passages was reduced if I turned the (expander gate) clockwise by so many turns it silenced
Parker’s soft words if you think it means killing it, yeah, that's acceptable to me.

Ripley's louder words cuts though obviously it means killing it.

I even have ideas for the surrounds on Dolby Stereo 4.2.4 matrix but that’s way, way many weeks down the road until I get another MDX4600. The limiter was also smooth, I like it.

I have 2 ideas on how to finally connect the system up once most of old EQ are out of the audio chain and replaced with FBQ3102 31 band EQ and MDX4600 and another DCX2496 and another FBQ2496, too early to say what I have in mind.

[JBL 4645]

Re-listening to The fast and the furious (2001) region2 DVD right now and so far the MDX4600 has managed to settle down the opening that has blearing rap music from left and right front I can’t stand rap music! It was drowning out the centre mix. The left right carries some whooshing effects while centre remains mute for music its only carrying whooshing effects.

I most certainly need another x1 MDX4600 for the surround channels. I noticed because I’m using compression its relaxing the LCR but the surrounds are playing freely and too damn loud! I’ve had to make some trims on the DCX2496 to bump up the levels on the ABC input.

I’ll see how the film goes along as I know there’s one scene in the film I like to listen to “The charger”. I wonder if the Foley comes though clear this, time around?

[JBL 4645]

Well I’m trying to fit in the LCR (I’m getting near) so that every bit within a few db can be heard particularly chapter 17, (Vin Diesel) Dominic walks up to “the charger” music beats almost to the same beat as the centre channel Foley footsteps that I like to listen too. They have rhythm of anger as Dom wants revenge for what other gang did to his, friend.

For years I’ve been frustrated listening to this film and many more like it that have the left and right blearing in my face and no doubt many other homes, not sure if the cinema had the same issues but I hate it when you can’t hear ever channel on a recoded medium, its not like real life where wouldn’t get a second chance to listen to that sound or music again.

I’ve gotten scene to play within a few db I still have to make sure off-screen dialogue panning matches in frequency level too much compression on left and right and little tiny bit in the centre as centre can mask left or right if too high a level.

The final car race sounds calm still loud only calmer. Car wheels bit the ground as (Paul Walker) Brain, brings his, car to hard screeching right pan halt! Is clear heard just after “the charger” hits a truck and goes flying! Doors close hard left and Foley footsteps run from centre to right screen channel then over to centre.

That’s not what I had in mind
Dominic


Since I haven’t patched the LCR direct to MDX4600 if I had it will be reducing some of the lows for sub bass extension which can be tuned and tweaked to run smoothly. The LCR is patched out from each preamp processor to MDX4600 then back though to DCX2496 crossover then from there on to each amp.

I think separate MDX4600 for sub bass extension independently ran with LCRS that way I can be more critical for playback. The LCRS sub bass extension works okay as it is right now I can still trim the levels on the mixer down a few db if too and I want the level to be in keeping with control 5.

LEF.1 ran nicely on its own without LCRS sub bass extension as “the charger” hits the track it blended in sweet, with none of that over the top nonsense of LFE.1 advertising in my face! When it’s in my face it fails as being LFE.1 just as any other channel being in my face or down the sides of my ears!

I have to keep the LCRS sub bass extension ON otherwise I’d be missing out other parts of the soundtrack and keeping the LFE.1 within +-2db makes for smoother action film. I could use the EQ for LFE.1 on the GEQ3102 as that’s patched into channel 4 on MDX4600 rising one of the bands will be slightly compressed, I've got an idea!

[JBL 4645]

There’s scene in chapter 12, where only left right front surrounds and LFE.1 plays for FBI raid! Centre channel doesn’t become active until the raid finishes along with fade in the music, but there is one tiny centre sound effect of farther smacking his son’s face for shame that’s clearly heard! 01:01:05.

Chapter 12, has cool off screen surround pan from left to right as if there’s motorbike riding right behind me at 01:04:49 it doesn’t appear on screen it rides away as if heading up the road onto my right seems fairly realistic. Rather than facing the right sidewall surround I find myself turning my head at least far enough to look into the rooms right corner.

Chapter 16 the truck highway heist sounded gritty raw with small race cars against a huge truck that could easily roll over them. It sounded better than before without the shrilly almost deafening midrange LCR remained clear dialogue was kinder distant even with the trucks effects in the centre many db higher in the mix as it should be against the SPL db loudness of trucks engine and roaring rumble of the wheels again it’s the roads surface.

I live my life a quarter mile at a time. Nothing else matters: not the mortgage, not the store, not my team and all their bullshit. For those ten seconds or less, I'm free.
Dominic

[JBL 4645]

You're gonna need a bigger boat.
Chief, Brody JAWS 1975

JAWS 3 and JAWS THE REVENGE swam in though the letterbox this, morning on region1 DVD! Oh, no, Shark!!:eek:

I’ll do a JAWS low bite test for the next few days to see which ones have the lowest bite radius? I know JAWS has heck of low end bite that will jolt the living besides having a sheer bloody loud opening on the “Chrissie scream”! Well that’s not going to happen with some MDX4600 audio compression I don’t fancy having my ears ripped off with almost 100db screaming midrange!

I’ve had JAWS and JAWS 2 on region 2 for a number of years and they look just fine as well as sounding great from a nicely produced re-mix of the Academy Award winning best sound JAWS (1975) that exhibited originally in mono the new mix opens the sound across the scope 2.35:1. It would have been nice to include a monaural mix for vintage JAWS fans.

Running time 1hr 59mins

JWAS 2 (1978) is solely in original mono and 2.35:1 scope is good sequel has Bruce swims into Amity community waters again for a quick bite!

Running time 1hr 51mins

JAWS 3 (1983) was also filmed in 2.35:1 scope 3D well, I’m not into 3D, 2D works just fine with the multi DOLBY STEREO mix thou I haven’t listened to this, one yet in DOLBY so I guess its going to be rather interesting on the JBL sound system, today.

Running time 1hr 39mins

JAWS THE REVENGE (1987) DOLBY STEREO 2.35:1 scope “this time it’s personal” not the best in series and I’m not sure which version this one is as there was two alternate cut ending versions. “Your only suppose to blow the bloody shark up”! Michael Cane I think that was bad choice, it’s not personal he’s brilliant actor just wrong for the role?

Running time 1hr 31mins

[JBL 4645]

Picked up Tron double set this afternoon walking though the sunny streets of Bournemouth I guess summertime as really arrived.

Well I've just off “the grid” with Tron Legacy (2010). What can I say about it? Well it wasn’t all that bad its okay at 2hrs 5mins same old clichés only refined into new digital age looked remarkably breathtaking from disc fighting to light cycles.

Skywalker sound as yet again produced another winner that came close to picking up an Oscar.

Seems the Sony BDP-S550 doesn’t want to stream the dts7.1 though coaxial analogue odd, I guess its only outputted though digital or hdmi and since I don’t have new AVR to support the new codec I’m really not that impatient. I routed the centre phantom to the rear back surrounds with a little overhead surround.

There wasn’t as much onscreen dialogue panning as used in Tron (1982) there were a few onscreen scenes that tracked across the screen transparently also a scene telling Sam about his, identity disc. The sounds were placed all around with stronger voice coming from centre back.

If you, lose your disc, or fail, to follow commands, you will be subject to immediate de-resolution
Computer Voice

Lows were plenty that supported the cyber digital world. Foley footsteps and body punches were felt from mid bass stage channels down to the sub bass extension for deeper impacts. The music score Daft Punk was cool from the start to end

Video picture was annoying from switching to scope “super35” 2.35:1 to W/S 1.78:1 IMAX sigh yeah you don’t get a user function to switch the IMAX off sigh. Opening of the film starts in 2.35:1 and ends on the end credits in 1.78:1. Most other action scenes were seen as 2.35:1 and I don’t see a point to IMAX switching to certain scenes at all?

The MDX4600 kept the dynamic range from going over the top. It still packed a decent smooth 105dbc for the low end.

I’m surprised it made its money back. I guess though video sales it will make a few hundred extra million.

Box Office
Budget: $170,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $44,026,211 (USA) (19 December 2010) (3451 Screens)
Gross: $390,395,137 (Worldwide) (20 February 2011)

[JBL 4645]

2WOOW1: A Space Odyssey finally found the first edition out of print region 1 DVD for no more than £1.00 pound shipping cost just under £5.00 I’m pleased with that it should be coming though time portal around mid, May 2011: A Finally brought A Version I Can Appreciate.

So the image is bit cropped on the first edition at least video engineer isn’t colour blind unlike the other editions! The whites look natural where other shots look a shad pink due to video computer manipulating the picture far beyond its original.

The bluray looks soft and I like dirt on film print because that is what happens over a few plays at cinema it picks up dirt it gets scratched often the colour fades over a long time it looks real because its not some digitally stored film on film hard-drive where the audience of the 60’s are getting ripped off on picture and 6track magnetic on 70mm.

I guess the surrounds on this version will be duel monaural while retaining the crazy wild wide dialogue panning over the LCR unlike the (special edition DVD/bluray) where the most of the dialogue panning as been condensed down to the centre channel SIGH! What’s the point of the LFE .1? Films back then never used subs it was full spectrum stage channels five for 70mm and three for 35mm.

I would say it was the same print used for the Dolby AC-3 laserdisc http://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/07716/ML106348/2001:-A-Space-Odyssey-(1968)

More screen captures at DVDbeaver on 2001.
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview/2001.htm

[JBL 4645]

Re-listening to Dolby Stereo 70mm classic WILLOW (1987) after placing the microphone at the back of the room and running the (wideband pink noise) RTA test over each LCRS/LFE.1 in turn. The response came out different than placing it in the seating location much different.

Microphone is about 20” from the back wall. I added in equal wide Q filters on two of the LF LCR fronts and slightly narrower Q BP filters to trim out the peaks also widened out the response as far as it will allow down to 40Hz / 50Hz.

Surrounds was tested afterwards from stereo regular sidewall and rear wall half. I readjusted the level for centre back surround to be equal to one sidewall surrounds.

The LCR seems to be playing somewhat better over the last time I listened to WILLOW some 3 months ago. It was over-bright and detail in half pans was bit out of place due to placing the microphone in the middle of the room near the cinema seat.

Half dialogue pans are bit clearer as well as (wider pans, but they were okay first time around)

I recall listening to the Dolby SR print at UCI 10 screen on Saturday 21st April 1990 screen 10, having a wide open LCR front the Dolby CP65 processed the Dolby 4.2.4 matrix very well. The bass was ample thou not much that can be felt as the cinema wasn’t THX thou the EV stage LCR was THX certified I would guess the EV was model TS9040D-LX, surrounds might well be the EV TS8-2 that were fitted to the ceiling some x5, four were placed in the wider part of the auditorium as its oddly shaped the 5th surround was placed at the back of the cinema near to the entrance.

My first viewing of WILLOW was on VHS rental P&S on mono TV so not only picture was diminished also the Academy Award nominated best sound effects editing. So on day off projecting I saw that Willow was being made-up by another one of the projection team and knew I had to catch this one on the big screen. The print was okay until the 3 reel where half the image was bleared as if liquid was rubbed onto one half of the print.

I was surprised the families mostly morning moms with their children, patiently remained seated till the end.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096446/

Only thing missing with video versions are the cue dots per every 15 to 20 mins.

The little, little people “brownies” are good comic relief often the voices are panned over the LCR or fixed to one side or placed in the centre depending on where their positioned. Foley effects pan over LCR with onscreen action, from swords doors opening and closing footsteps horses hoofs all move around the stage. Rain effects sound okay along with rolling thunder moving overhead smoothly from fronts to surrounds in chapter 15.

The James Horner score performed by the LSO is delightfully pleasing listening fun on chapter 16, as Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) and Willow (Warwick Davis) battle Queen Bavmorda soldiers in a horse and chart chase. Arrows fly past my ear, making me flitch to one side. http://www.movie-wave.net/titles/willow.html

The score tensely rises with horns as death-star whooshes along the left sidewall surround and sticks into the wood on the chart centre front with different tone and on the right with different sound is a crazy wild Dolby film mix well balanced engineered by Re-recoding mixers, (Ben Burtt Gary Summers) at Sprocket Systems (Skywalker Sound) and many other audio post production studios contributing to the film.

Chapter 17, insects make sounds and birds tweet around the surrounds create wide surround openness.

The locations of, Wales and New Zealand are wonderful in creating the magical world of WILLOW.

ILM visual effects of brownies doesn’t seem dated a great deal of effort went into it. The morphing effect was one of the first committed to film is a combination of blue screen and superimposing the two elements together into seamless magic.

I like the sly bit of “Aliens” in chapter 23, for brief few moments as the troops search the village for the baby. Screaming sounds of woman is heard from centre back with yelling people in front and all-around.

Chapter 24 though to 27 is thrilling Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) now helping Madmartigan to protect the Elora.
A huge monster appears after a troll as been transferred and kicked into moat loams out of the water as a two headed beast breathing fire! Fireballs bust outwards surrounding my ears while LFE.1 extends smoothly onto LCR.

Tiny sounds of sword being japed into troop as is clearly heard on left front just before Madmartigan catapults himself though the air. Swords clang independently on left and right with mild centre half as Madmartigan and Sorsha battle of the troops.

I don’t know if its me or does chapter 28, the score has kinder planets sound to it, just before everyone is turned into “PIGS”! its tranquil yet haunting.

The pigs kinder alarmed Sooty from the centre back as the pigs squeal.

Wind hollows all-around before the final battle chapter 31 though to 34

Several Wilhelm Screams are heard throughout the films running time some more forward some rather distant in the mix.

The sword fighting sounds great then cuts to between Queen and Raziel dispersion flames of fire and icy flares from the magic wand, from centre front a rock tips over and comes falling towards centre back then smashing into the floor. The wand often throws out a deep lighting bolt that activates the LFE.1. Thunder continues wow they have weather issues in this world?

The WILLOW here is slightly un-cut from the theatrical UK release a bit gritty when Gen. Kael (Pat Roach) gets the point of the sword!

End credits have two different musical sounds on left and right with a different sound in the centre that also plays on surrounds at different level, before the LSO strikes up brilliantly all-around and across the fronts. I like the way it ends on with gently, whispery ocean like chime that twinkles magically. Scoring mixer Shawn Murphy yet again produces a fine mix using Dolby SR type.

Good read in link below, but who the hell is James Homer? “Horner”! Good, grief talk about dyslexia.:D
http://www.crouchingphotographer.com/Sonic%20Wars.htm

WILLOW is sweet, entertaining delightful charming magical film check it out.:)

I think I’ll make my EQ adjustment from the back of the room for now because its worked out better then last time.

[Audiobeer]

Wow, this thread dosen't even need a server. Whats Up?

[JBL 4645]

Wow, this thread dosen't even need a server. Whats Up?

What, you been living under rock since 2007 then?:p

What’s up? Is that I listen! Don’t you? :D

[Allanvh5150]

So whats up with the Dr Helen Noel avatar?

[JBL 4645]

So whats up with the Dr Helen Noel avatar?

Hi Al

Well sported! You must be secret Trekkie! I doubt most here would have guessed that.

I was watching “Dagger of the mind” a few nights ago and Dr. Helen Noel damn hot! http://www.animateit.net/data/media/august2009/drool.gif How come Kirk always get the hot women?

[JBL 4645]

Oh, I think we can pretty much guarantee that she'll want to go back in. Don't you, Jack?
Philip FitzRoyce:

I’ve really gotten into JAWS 3 with at least 5 viewings over Tron Legacy its odd how Dolby vintage films tend to rule over a new bluray dts release?

Mixed and recoded in Dolby Stereo by the Minkler family, Bob Minkler, Lee Minkler, Michael Minkler who also worked on STAR WARS and original Tron.

The LCR has fair openness to it, main characters principle dialogue is mostly centred with a few occasional voice pans. Sound effects from dolphin tapping its nose against a cage centre that bridges between main ocean is then heard over on left while it, continues to tap its nose against the cage.

I guess some of the shots towards the end when the shark blows up pieces of shark fly overhead on monaural matrix surrounds uniformly.

It’s sometimes laughable when one of the works who got slightly chewed up by Bruce, floats outside while girls scream their heads off inside an underwater tube tunnel.

The image is bit fuzzy look I guess this, is due to the 3D film process still looks great in scope 2.35:1.

Lows only get as near to around 30Hz thou mostly around 40Hz when I viewed it spectrum lab.

I like Philip FitzRoyce chactutre played by the late (Simon MacCorkindale) the accent crakes me up very upper class British, guy.

Calvin Bouchard (Louis Gossett Jr) is funny while trying to play serious and keeping his, cool while great white swims around crewing up, the park one person at time.

I think the sound of the shark chewing on FitzRoyce is sick it’s all-around like being in the JAWS mouth itself. How this, got a PG rating yet Jaws the Revenge (1987) gets a PG-13 or 12 certificate for today yet on its UK release receives a PG.

Some of the JAWS effects can be felt as Bruce flexes his Jaws on on-swimming dolphins. Depressurizing the water tank with water drooping around equally sounds neat as Mike Brody and Kathryn (Bess Armstrong) exit the tank. Bruce pops into room for quick snack of leg or two, damn this, shark as tapeworm!

I still think JAWS blowing up in the first one is by far the most tense ending, JAWS 3 blowing-up is slack and I can only imagine what it most have looked in 3-D as jaws and teeth fly towards the screen then pause, like saying “hey that’s 3D”!

Wow I’m surprised it raked in any money at all, looks like it paid well even if, the shark looked more faker than before on some of the underwater superimposing shots.

Box Office
Budget: $20,500,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $13,422,500 (USA) (24 July 1983)
Gross: $87,987,055 (Worldwide)

[JBL 4645]

Ain't she sweet
Walt Kowalski

I picked up GRAN TORINO (2008) bluray 6track DOLBY STEREO DIGITAL TrueHD

I guess this, would be another interesting of Clint’s performance I’ll check it later in the day.


Wow Clint does it again. it was entertaining and Eastwood never fails to deliver good directing and performances from the cast.

Walt Kowalski a bitter hard working man now retired who fought in the Korean War and doesn’t much like his neighbours but soon has change of heart.

Filmed with anamorphic lenses and framed in 2.35:1 scope colour balance is fine

Sound is fairly open from ambient effects its mostly driven by dialogue high tweeting bird sounds can be heard clearly traffic sounds flow from side to side chapter 7, a gangs car pulls away from left sidewall surrounds to front left sounded convincing. LFE.1 accompanied the LCR fronts when called for.

[Eaulive]

Amazing....

51178

[Allanvh5150]

Hi Al

Well sported! You must be secret Trekkie! I doubt most here would have guessed that.

I was watching “Dagger of the mind” a few nights ago and Dr. Helen Noel damn hot! http://www.animateit.net/data/media/august2009/drool.gif How come Kirk always get the hot women?

Not so much a secret.......:)

[JBL 4645]

Not so much a secret.......:)
Hey Al
Well I know you’re into Space1999. :D

[JBL 4645]

It sure looks beautiful. God. Sometime I wish I could stay up here.
Col. Jason Halsey

Final Approach flew in this morning on ntsc laserdisc.

I first came across the film on VHS PAL rental some 10 years ago and must have hired it out 4 times each rental was for 1 week and the last 30 mins I played over and over and started to ware the tape down.

I’ve played side 2 over and over for the same last 30min thou the SR-71 aerial sequence with amazing Dolby Stereo film mix in PCM bursts out with SR-71 afterburner jolt when called for.

The film is rare for widescreen laserdisc scope 2.35:1 as it’s never been released on DVD much less bluray since its laserdisc street release (08/07/1992).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101874/

http://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/23524/LDCVM5561WS/Final-Approach-(1992)


Cinema Digital Sound (CDS) thou it was ill-fainted from the moment it went out the door the format wasn’t given thought for analogue backward compatibility and only lasted short few years before it was abandoned.

Six-track split surround was produced for the CDS 35mm and Dolby SR analogue for 70mm release magnetic six-track Dolby stereo (SR no nothing to do SR-71) :D

http://www.in70mm.com/library/process/cds/index.htm

Final Approach was also given
http://www.in70mm.com/library/blow_up/year/1991.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_Digital_Sound

Cinema Digital Sound Theatres
http://www.in70mm.com/library/cinemas/cds.htm

70mm and digital sound
http://www.in70mm.com/newsletter/1996/46/digital/index.htm

[JBL 4645]

The laserdisc image quality is top notch for the standards format no laser rot has been reported on this, film.

Audio quality is soft level for dialogue scenes thou does rise in moderate loud level while (James Sikking) and (Hector Elizondo) wrestle in a fight over his, confusion why is he there what is he doing there? Dr. Dio Gottlieb is helping Col. Jason Halsey to reconstitute his past.

The SR-71 sequences where the afterburners throttle up for full roaring thundering sub bass extension feels great.

I’d have to run a few moments on spectrum lab it seems like it only goes down to 30Hz thou it might drop down lower?

Matrix surrounds is bit confusing to distinguish rear surround over common crosstalk I can pick out a few steered rear pans flight controller voices heard on the surrounds, it would be far easier with the DVD that is itching for Dolby digital 6channel discrete.

At least I can play this, ( over and over) without wearing down a single scene.

[JBL 4645]

Digital camera has slightly produce some artefacts from the CRT at close up for screen capture I could improve it. This only shows the scene at side 2 from 28:00min sub bass extension SW-remix at 0db on the fader sub bass set at 0db.

I have to go though the whole film there might a deep low elsewhere on the Dolby mix.

Side2, 30:20 Christ everything is full of static electricity when the SR-71 is hit by lighting the surrounds rumble for brief moment with an alarm sound.

Well this bird drops down near to 20Hz and that’s plenty low enough I don’t plan to run this at 126db (it handled well 10 years ago at that level) thou I’m tempted for the afterburner tests

[JBL 4645]

116db is the near limit (I don’t want to over taxi the Alesis RA300 into clip) I guess it was down to room size at my other digs that gave an extra 10db boast room gain. The afterburner vibrates my home even doors one floor below. It flexes the kitchen wall with a few items rattling in the cupboards.

The expander mode on MDX4600 set to full cuts off lows at given threshold until level exceeds it sub bass extension cuts in nicely kinder like LFE.1 only I’d imagine the LFE.1 track on the film to be bit lower down from LCR guess I’d have to wait until the studio gets around to releasing it on DVD.

One scene when the SR-71 takes off the JBL sub remains in calm sub bass extension mode until the mix rises over threshold at 26:32 when it roars down the runway the sub slowly rises up with rumble on the chest.

Voices of flight controllers are positioned left to right and centre to surround thou some voices in the surrounds may not be intentional on 6track mix.

I’d have to play the final last 25 min on the video projector later on.

[JBL 4645]

Wow this film beats Tron Legacy into the dust! I’ve had it practically running since around 11:00am and its now gone past 10:26pm and I need some catnaps I’ll come back for some more SR-71 sub bass later on.:bouncy:

[JBL 4645]

There’s lots of cool sounding moments in TOP GUN one scene is where Jester is over-flown by Maverick sending his jet fighter into roll the interior cockpit has whooshing air rush swirling around or rather side to side of the LCR along with split-stereo surrounds,

The scene works okay but something is missing giving the height of the screen of in some cinemas or homes or generally the image itself.

9 screen channels would work well as the sound whooshes from

Right upper front quickly dropping down to middle right then into right lower then over to lower front to left lower front quickly passing up middle left and top left height if anyone can picture a 9 screen front array with Jesters voice in the centre middle front.

I can’t think of anyway way at present to trick or get the sound to move in that style and it would be neat thou it might create a holy mess of sound and it has to be done discretely.

The illusion still works but even the surrounds are primate now maybe 30 directional channels

9 screen front
3 channel left surround wall
3 channel right surround wall
9 channel rear wall
3 channel overhead surround
3 channel below floor surround
and few more extra LFE channels

So this, way the sound will literally spiral swirl around rather than the basic locations where its been playing at for past several decades.

[JBL 4645]

Picked up some Dirty bluray bargains this morning at HMV well at least they have DOLBY TrueHD yippee!

Dirty Harry (1971) first saw this on VHS rental way back around early 1980’s then again on TV over the years. So seeing it in full scope should be different over the lousy panned and scanned versions on TV.

I’m wonder how good the remix is not that I’m into remixes unless its really done well. There are mono mixes for Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian there might be some sounds like effects or Foley that might give me a hint.

Contact (1997) seen it at the cinema in SR-D then brought the laserdisc and regret selling it. I brought the DVD to replace it and no the bluray isn’t going to replace the DVD. I expect they’ll be some small differences with picture. I’m wondering if the mix is the same as region 2 it rarely does go down low only low at high levels but not necessarily way below 20Hz.

[JBL 4645]

You love it. You’re a afraid you’ll really miss a good run.
Sandman

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074812/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan's_Run

Life might seem perfect in this little utopia of the 23rd century but there is only one catch, your life must end on your 30th birthday in the carousel where you will be reborn. Or you can running to find a place called sanctuary on the outside of the domed cities or face the Sandmen that track you down and terminate your life on the spot, for failure to turn yourself in at the carousel.

There is remake in the works for 2012 release no doubt in 3D well they can keep it. It would be best to re-release the original in cinemas as it was exhibited with 5 screen and mono surround. The remake seems like a poor excuse for CGI lousy sound design and fake 3D.


Logan’s Run regionFree arrived week before last as I was getting pissed off with DOLBY STEREO 424 matrix version on region2 DVD where Warner Bros lied about it being DOLBY 5.1 print error my foot!

Well the regionFree leaves in the region2 in dust. Discreteness of 4 primary channels not 5 since the 5.1 is duplicating the monaural surround and duel rather than outputting it as single channel with left-centre right-centre hence two channels are a bit of waste here. I find the LFE.1 okay exciting making the dramatic action scenes rumble or the opening of Jerry Goldsmith score pressing on my body with deeper musical notes.

Sound effects, Foley and dialogue panning follows the onscreen action where the performer is located on the screen dialogue is positioned to that specific area and cerates a more believable sound performance in my personal opinion with Todd-AO process. This recoding technique is hardly used today which makes films sound dull and lifeless even 3D films where duologue is centred with maybe only one or two scenes where its panned.

The solo voice dialogue on Logan’s Run is spread across all three fronts or five for the cinema with half pans positioned for left-centre or right-centre. With the DVD/bluray DOLBY 5.1 version half pans kinder float between left and centre or centre and right.

I have second Yamaha DSR70Pro coming so I’m a few steps away from matrix 70mm five-screen fronts with the few 30 r more tiles out of small 1500 titles on optical disc.

Discrete sound effects are clearer and only come in as and when on the mix over some of the fake 5.1 mixes that I have no thanks to Warner Bros of Sony pictures I could send those discs back with foot up there ass!

I haven’t looked at the film in 1080i on the LCD projector yet I can see the image is sharper than the DVD which has EE edging the regionFree seems free of edging maybe a bit soft so possible mild usage of DNR.

Extras are the same as the region2 DVD audio commentate and behind the scenes, look into the 23rd century and trailer.

[JBL 4645]

The gizmo came rushing and rushing though time space warp week before last WOW seeing the film in scope 2.35:1 over the VHS rental panned and scanned in the late 80’s is plus. DOLBY STEREO 4.2.4 matrix works okay plenty of vintage Dolby low end that rumbled the living room while pressing on my body with few scenes made it far exciting than 24 years ago.

This is kinder cult classic its not hard to find unless you buy the wrong version as the region2 is panned and scanned with mono sound WTF! Yeah nice going Buna Vista you Muppets!

The disc comes as flipper no not the dolphin, flipper with scope on side A while side B is panned and scanned both sides have DOLBY STEREO.

My Science Project has had multiple viewings over, some over rated lousy bluray titles like Tron Legacy if the film was in DOLBY TrueHD 7.1 chances are it might still be playing today.

I gave MSP a quick view on LCD projector on Pioneer DV515 looked a bit rough due to image being blown-up maybe DOLBY TrueHD bluray might come around one day NOT least not in DOLBY sigh sodden dts!

[JBL 4645]

I’m still waiting on 2001: A Space Odyssey to turn up. Latest update was it was posted this week sigh talk about a f%)ucking slow service! I’m not dealing with these Muppets again its been weeks! At most 14 days but over 4 weeks takes the piss. :biting:

[JBL 4645]

Good morning, Mr. Phelps.
Eugene Kittridge

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117060/

Re-listening to Mission Impossible (1996) tonight wow I forget just how good this sounded in DOLBY DIGITAL 6channel.

Chapter 9 has good style of mixing with Ethan Hunt typing on laptop in one room while Krieger sits in another room behind Ethan watching TV. As the camera pan away from Krieger on left the sound of the TV pans from left to half left then onto centre front while the sound of the typing on laptop pans away from centre channel over to half left then fully hard left. All this action is very subtitle but does call for listening attention least my attention.

Lalo Schifrin opening theme composed by Danny Elfman gives it cracking percussion drum beat with horns blearing away.

I have to get the original shows on DVD they’re so much fun in their day on the TV re-runs.

[JBL 4645]

First edition arrived this morning after a length many weeks. Well worth it still the ultimate trip.

I need only to test it out one scene to see if the wild wide dialogue placement was intact chapter 4 “from the earth to moon” ware the PAN AM stewardess and Floyd are in the routeing “thingy”? Voice is panned left with a half pan on the centre plus all the foggy dialogue solo voice that’s spread across the LCR mono surrounds don’t draw too much attention like the lousy bluray does with stereo surrounds. The LFE.1 on this version seems laidback. Screen bass is plentiful for vintage mix.

Trailers for 2001 and 2010
Arthur C. Clark interview
Colour booklet

Overall I’m pleased with packing and film with original sound mix I’m fully satisfied.

[JBL 4645]

After re-listening carefully to surrounds which carries stereo its still different to the 2001 edition released later.

[JBL 4645]

Well out of curiosity with the price drop I couldn’t care to buy Avatar special edition and get Commando for free even Avatar was priced at £18.00 and Commando £12.00 at ASDA store.

Wow its uncut to the UK release 1985 that was cut heavily by the BBFC for the DVD release which I still have. This one has the infernos arm chopping with tools shed scene its almost comic laughable as Matrix comes up with a few hand tools saw discs and an axe LOL I think that looked like water coming out the arm! WTF! I can’t see this film as being violent today its almost passable for a 15 rating than 18 certificate.


There is discreteness on mix in this, 5.1 LFE.1 only comes in briefly bass is mostly covered over LCR little use of it in the surrounds. The original mix was DOLBY STEREO but couldn’t care about dts that much which is why I’m not letting it get to me. This will always remain as DOLBY STEREO recoded mix.

Dialogue filters over LCR which seems odd and I have some doubt it’s a real proper discrete 5.1 thou the issue of dialogue being heard in left and right thou faint it is, still leads me to believe one or two things.

Its done in kinder Todd-AO fashion where in the 70mm days dialogue would commonly be heard on the five fronts with odd pan shifts to left and right inner and outer channels. Or the mix was lousily done rushed rather than keeping it isolated 100% the film doesn’t draw on principle characters voices been panned over LCR.

One other thing is the opening score I would have expected different parts to inadvisably placed it sounds like centre phantom is folding onto the centre discrete if it is? Its not really a wow me for the day LCR front mix its okay.

The surrounds have discreteness that is miles apart different from the LCR. The film never had 70mm six-track DOLBY STEREO release only optical 35mm DOLBY STEREO A type.

Let of some steam Bennett. Actually let off more than the UK release and was damn laughable (Vernon Wells) grunts and flinches whole gasping for his last breath with 6 pipe sticking though his body.

Extras are bare bone with trailers in 5.1 that sound loader then the film itself and this too is not uncommon I had to turn the level down by at least -6 to -8db on some trailers.

There is DVD box-set titled directors cut I’d have to hunt around for that one and see if its as good to stand on its own but the 88min version over 85min which is PAL speed-up hmm the bluray should be 90min if adding on 5mins due to PAL speed-up running time on the counter says 01:30:18 I guess some at Fox hasn’t leaned how to count. It’s 90mins running time!

Colour balance appears to the same as the region2 DVD from memory. I haven’t watched it all the way though only looked at few scenes as I’ve watched this film like some many others countless times since 1985 and it gets funnier each time Sully is dropped off the side of cliff. “I lied”. Aahhgghhhhhhh

So far positioning of sound effects is in the correct locations so far.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Zq5eKY_t4&feature=player_embedded

[JBL 4645]

If my demands are not met, I shall proceed with the systematic extinction of whole species of cereals and livestock all over the world.
Blofeld

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064757/

I’m quit pleased with this transfer the telecine looks decent enough with good colour balance even on shots that I looked at twice to make sure the odd tail, tail signs of green cyan call what you will, where spot light is put on Bond as he skies down slope out of the clutches of Blofeld and his white cat.

Actually I noticed two cats in the film one was black cat where Tracy is holding her cat walking around in the garden.

The DOLBY DIGITAL 6channel mix is pretty good low end has nice vintage feel to Foley effects and effects like the avalanche sequence which rumbled deeply.

Too bad Telly Savalas didn’t get enough screen time as the menacing Blofeld. I like the way the continuity is kept at the end with Blofeld getting some payback after wearing tree in bobsled accident, which only showed the chactutre from behind in For Your Eyes Only (1981).

It's all right. It's quite all right, really. She's having a rest. We'll be going on soon. There's no hurry, you see. We have all the time in the world.
James Bond

John Barry’s opening score has good Bond quality musical style


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQBj2RJe4sY&feature=player_embedded

The bell helicopter (Jet ranger 206) sounded good on flybys and inside and on the outside even as it pans across from right to centre as Bond looks around his guest room for cameras and microphones the ranger moves smoothly across the fronts then fades off to right.

Avenger stars Diana Rigg who has already been in The Avengers and appearance of younger Joanna Lumley that will appear in The New Avengers.

[JBL 4645]

Commando has some low end on the LFE.1 with 4x4 truck crashing then exploding into fireball that reaches down to 12Hz and below almost touching 5Hz can’t be asked to go though the whole film.

Centre channel has nice Foley body kicks and body impacts as Matrix slams an M-16 around the bad guys heads then kicks them away one by one until he his, eventually pinned down.

I never gave it any thought to looking at the region2 DVD I know it has some low end on not sure how far down or how close the waterfalls will be against this version. I’ll look at the R2 later on. I have LCR only playing in the living room and I can hear deep lows in motel fight scene I can feel the lows on the bedroom door pounding away.

These guys eat too much red meat.

[JBL 4645]

The explosion on 4x4 truck is not as low but still low enough for the room to rumble and vibrate. The Foley body impacts and kicks seem to be the same or have the same tone differences like PAL speed up will pitch the sound up a few cycles where the bluray will be the same as the cinema version.

I did two tests with DOLBY STEREO 4.2.4 sub bass extension switched ON one test at 0db and the other at +13db.

[JBL 4645]

Brought Waterworld (1995) today along with THE TOWN (2010) “buy one get one free” from HMV.

Universal Pictures really staggers me with their false advertising! They clam Waterworld (1995) on DVD is DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 when in fact it indicates DOLBY 5.0 on the AVR.

They clam the perfect so called format called bluray is dts hd master audio 5.1 when in FACT its 5.0!

Well no real huge loss and thanks for the falsely advertising its 5.1. They really need to hire ex-projectionists or someone to evaluate final transfer before it even goes though to mass-production of what appears to be the same transfer. I doubt its really a true 1080p just a crab it off the master tape shelf and give it a quick cheap going over to grab paying consumers money.

SHAME ON YOU UNIVERSAL PICTUERS!

Best way to run the film is divert the lows from LCRS to the subs below 80Hz or lower.

I seriously doubt the NTSC THX dts laserdisc is 5.1 once bitten twice shy. Screw you Universal lean to do basic mathematics! You ether clearly label it as 5.0 or make it clear that the film was mixed this way without an LFE.1 channel or let the re-recoding mixers say which way it mixed? SIGH

Picture I can’t be asked to play the film in 1080i on LCD projector the colour balance looks the same as early DVD and the (matrix) THX laserdisc that I once owned years ago.

I think the whole HD is sheer waste of time with only a few decent transfers. The eye is more than perfect than any HD bluray will ever be! Id sooner have 35mm with grain, grain, grain and none of this crap DNR dynamic noise reduction and EE edge enhancement.

I don’t believe in “you get what you pay for” when crocked bent robbers like Universal aren’t being fully honest with paying consumers.

Never run the AVR with loudspeakers set to small ether get extra crossovers amps and set the speakers at low level with bass trimmed off a bit otherwise you wouldn’t be able to tell if the film has LFE.1 or as and when it cuts it which should be smooth and seamless by the way.

At least there is still a theatrical trailer that’s almost better than bluray (no point of fact it was crap)! I prefer the trailer on DVD the old spice theme DUH DUH DUH DUH! BOOM, BOOM!DUH DUH DUH DUH! Carmina Burana.

[JBL 4645]

Basic Instinct (1992) PAL laserdisc there is a slight difference in DOLBY STEREO mix over the (DVD where there’s an extra music cue placed in scene where the theatrical version only carries effects and dialogue).

The PCM packs a punch when Nick shoots Beth in the hallway, that makes even makes me flinch as the sub bass extension slams into me then as Beth is jolted back onto floor with heavy body fall thud!

Surrounds have very little panning effects it’s mostly focused over the LCR.

[JBL 4645]

Poltergeist II the other side (1986) I don’t have this on DVD only laserdisc which still looks brilliant for picture and DOLBY STEREO mix. Laserdisc is NTSC sound is digital PCM with plenty of spooky bumps thumping the Freeling’s as they battle the evil spirit Kane who wants the Carol Anne back!

Nice matrix surround where the mother and child crossover into the other side in cave. Voices pan across the fronts and appear to circle around.

Sub bass extension has a few Jerry Goldsmith heavy moments when Tangina knocks on the door, the score has deep tympani that slowly builds up and up.

[JBL 4645]

STAR TREK II the Wrath of Khan (1982) NTSC PCM DOLBY STEREO opening as nice 40Hz weighted musical low that gradually builds up. This version as a slight edge over the bluray by several +db in frequency response where I played the same scene over and over at least 10 or more times on each version and the laserdisc just left the blurau standing at the bottom. Its okay its just not the total original 100% DOLBY mix on the bluray more like 97%.

Matrix surrounds work nicely as Kirk yells out Khann! Khann! Khann, as the voice pans from fronts to surrounds then fades out.

[JBL 4645]

I’m watching and listening to Jarre In China (2005) at present which has nice use of musical individualism over LCR and stereo surrounds and LFE.1 for room vibration.

[JBL 4645]

I just brought SPACE COWBOYS (2000) for its trueness of the six-track DOLBY STEREO DIGITAL TrueHD because it sounds good. I have the region2 DVD so the biggest plus will be the non-PAL speed-up also I like Space Shuttle launch moment that is bit brief and they could have made the scene last 9 or so minutes.

The centrifuge trainer scene now that has some nice low end over LCRS and LFE.1

It should turn up over the weekend.

[JBL 4645]

I just brought Tango & Cash (1989) that was mixed and released in70mm six-track DOLBY STEREO SR the 35mm prints where SR and sounded brilliant when it played at UCI tower park where I projected it a few times. The opening is cool bass to sub bass moment

Okay let’s do it.

The six-track DOLBY STEREO DIGITAL TrueHD should let the film shine I like humour as well as the action moments and the hand grenade stuffed in the late pony tail (Brion James) mouth, now that is funny scene.

Blowing a man's head off with a fu&king hand grenade is a touch much, don't you think?

It should turn up over the weekend.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmDHlHCF8c4

[JBL 4645]

Been watching a few scenes from The Day After Tomorrow (2003) on DVD this afternoon that has quiet moment with deep low end down at 23 to 27Hz that’s only played over left and right fronts and stereo surrounds only. Scene come in at chapter 15.

It’s a kinder musically like sound effect rumble that builds the tension up.

[JBL 4645]

Blowing a man's head off with a fucking hand grenade is a touch much, don't you think?
Gabriel Cash

Tango & Cash arrived this morning along with second copy of Space Cowboys and I only ordered two blurau not two copies of Space Cowboys. Space Cowboys arrived early in week Dolby Digital 6channel not that it bothers me that much. I doubt I’d play it at 1080i on projector the colour brightness looks okay on CRT widescreen.

Tango & Cash seems like best movie of the week here. The Dolby film mix is discrete with stereo surrounds and I wasn’t aware it was released in with split-surrounds on 70mm in (1989) unless it flew under the radar or was re-mixed but there are no tail, tail signs of fake stereo surround going on here the mix on surrounds is totally different from the fronts with differences in the Harold Faltermeyer music over LCRS.

Okay lets do it… opening music has kick hard drum beat on left/right with mellow beat on the surrounds dialogue track is clear sounding with rare off-screen dialogue pan that is clearly heard to screen left in the police station.

Surrounds are mostly laid back but they are active most of the screen action sound takes place over the fronts, the helicopter flyby in chapter 1 sounds neat but its subtle smooth effect that doesn’t draw attention as I look upwards with my eyes while still looking forwards.

Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell teaming up side by side was nice touch in late 80’s. The film didn’t do well at the box office Budget: $55,000,000 (estimated) the take was only a mere Gross: $63,408,614 (USA) not enough to team up the duo again for sequel like the other buddy, buddy cop flick Lethal Weapon series which did well at the box office.

Jack Palance plays his chactutre kinder like Carl Grissom in Batman of the same year, which took a monster at the box office for Warner Bros.

[JBL 4645]

If you liked Taken you’ll like this.

Liam Neeson is Dr. Martin Harris who has awakened from a coma after a car accident only to find that someone has taken his identity.

I don’t want to give any plot information away it would spoil the story. It did catch me off guard with surprise and a double surprise and triple surprise.

I only watched with sub bass extension LCRS switched and LFE.1as its late at night. Bass sounded plentiful over LCRS full range I was totally surrounded at times with atmosphere soft and loud sounds all moving around discretely even mild use of dialogue panning smoothly flowed from one channel to the next over LCR.

Picture was nice with natural skin tone colours contrast/brightness was clear even darker lit moments.

Bluray comes with DVD version of the film in DOLBY DIGITAL too bad they could include DOLBY TrueHD with film the dts or let me put this way the film mix 5.1 was quite satisfactory. I might give the DVD a listen sometime over the weekend for some of the action moments.